\tn¥'€ 


THE 

SEVEN  GREAT 

HYMNS 


THE 

SEVEN    GREAT    HYMNS 

OF  THE 

jtflefciaetal  Cjmrci) 


ANNOTATED  BY 

CHARLES   C.  NOTT 

I! 


REVISED  AND  ENLARGED  EDITION 


NEW  YORK 

CMxrfn  £>♦  <&ov\)am,  &ubligt>tv 

CHURCH  MISSIONS  HOUSE 
MCMII 


Copyright,  1902,  by 
EDWIN  S.  GORHAM 


GENERAL 


To 

the  One  who  First  Inspired 

the  Work,  it  is 

Dedicated 


CONTENTS. 


PAtiB 
Introduction  to  this  Edition  .         «         .         ix 

JThe  Celestial  Country      .         •         •  .         .  I 

Dies  Irje  .  44 

Stabat  Mater  and  Mater  Speciosa  .         .  118 

Veni  Sancte  Spiritus      .          .         .  .  .  .126 

Veni  Creator  Spiritus         .         .         •  .          .  134 

Vexililla  Regis       .          ,          .          •  .  .  .140 

The  Alleluiatic  Sequence            .          .  .          .  146 

Appendix         •••••*..      154 


INTRODUCTION. 


/TAHE  firft  edition  of  the  Seven  Great 
-*•  Hymns  was  publifhed  anonymoufly,  years 
ago,  because  I  did  not  wifti  to  aflume  a  fcholar- 
fhip  which  I  did  not  poflefs.  In  framing  the 
book  the  procefs  of  felection  and  rejection  was 
inftin&ive  or  intuitive  rather  than  the  operation 
of  a  well-informed  judgment.  It  was  the  cafe 
of  one  reaching  out  for  fomething  which  he 
intenfely  defired  to  find  with  the  refult  of  finding 
it.  The  purpofe  of  the  book  was  what  might  be 
termed  expofition — to  give  to  American  readers 
an  expofition  of  the  fubjecl:  by  placing  before 
them  the  greateft  of  the  mediaeval  hymns,  and 
an  expofition  of  each  hymn  by  appending  to  it 
its  beft  tranflation.  Since  then  there  have  been 
immenfe  additions  to  the  English  branch  of  the 
subject  in  the  form  of  translations  and  com- 
mentaries ;  and  it  would  be  an  eafy  tafk  now 
with  the  material  at  hand  to  make  this  volume 


I   Introduction 

three  times  its  prefent  fize;  but  after  traveling 
around  the  circle  of  thefe  years  I  flop  very 
nearly  where  I  began,  for  I  am  now  of  the 
opinion  that  the  prefent  edition,  with  the  altera- 
tions and  additions  which  it  embodies,  does 
about  all  for  the  reader  in  the  way  of  expofition, 
either  of  the  general  subject  or  of  the  feveral 
hymns,  which  it  is  poflible  for  me  to  do. 

During  this  lapfe  of  years  there  have  been 
three  books  publifhed  which  mould  be  brought 
to  the  attention  of  any  perfon  who  may  be 
interefted  in  early  religious  poetry.  The  firft  is 
the  "  Chrift  in  Song  "  of  Dr.  Schaff.  This  is  not 
limited  to  mediaeval  times,  but  on  the  contrary 
contains  a  wealth  of  the  beft  hymns  of  all 
times  and  lands.  In  it  will  be  found  many 
tranflations  of  mediaeval  hymns  with  Dr.  Schaff's 
annotations — the  annotations  of  one  of  the 
moft  learned  and  judicious  commentators  who 
ever  touched  the  fubje&.  The  fecond  is  a  fmall 
volume  of  mediaeval  hymns  with  tranflations 
and  notes  by  the  late  Eraftus  C.  Benedict,  a 
member  of  the  New  York  bar.  Its  title  is 
"The  Hymn  of  Hildebert."  The  third  is  the 
"Chriftian  Life  and  Song"  of  Mrs.  Charles, 


Introduction. 

Detter  known  as  the  author  of  the  Schonberg- 
Cotta  Family.  This  work  fweeps  over  the 
whole  wide  horizon  of  Greek,  Latin  and  Ger- 
man hymns,  and  is,  in  my  opinion,  the  molt 
interefting  and  truftworthy  work  of  combined 
hiftory  and  tranflation  that  has  ever  been  pub- 
lifhed  in  Englifh.  Indeed,  I  know  of  no  book 
which  fo  combines  the  fervor  of  a  religious  and 
poetic  temperament  with  the  calm  difcrimina- 
tion  and  good  fenfe  of  a  judicial  mind. 

During  thefe  intervening  years,  I  have  not, 
in  the  proper  fenfe  of  the  term,  purfued  the 
ftudy  of  mediaeval  hymns,  but  there  are  fome 
conclufions  of  my  maturer  judgment  which  I 
wifh  to  note;  and  there  are  fome  changes  in 
this  final  edition  which  mould  be  explained: 


The  De  Contemptu  Mundi  is  not  properly  a 
hymn.  It  has  come  to  be  clafled  as  fuch  in 
confequence  of  the  admiration  of  Archbifhop 
Trench  and  the  beautiful  paraphrafe  of  Dr. 
Neale.  It  cannot,  therefore,  be  compared  with 
the  other  hymns  in  this  volume,  but  ftands 
xi 


Introduction. 

alone  a  fragment  taken  from  an  extended  poem. 
The  fubfequent  notes,  retained  from  the  firft 
edition,  will  disclofe  the  difficulty,  the  almoft 
impoffibility  of  tranflation  into  Englifh  and  the 
incomparable  adaptability  of  the  Latin,  both  for 
meafure  and  rhyme.  Neverthelefs,  the  Rev. 
Samuel  W.  Duffield  has  made  a  tranflation  in 
the  meafure  of  the  original  with  the  intermediate 
dactylic  rhymes  and  the  final  double-rhymes, 
which  moreover,  is  a  literal  rendering  of  the 
poem  line  for  line  and  often  word  for  word. 
The  introduction  of  Mr.  Duffield  is  alfo  a 
valuable  eflay  upon  the  construction  of  the  verfe. 

The  great  difficulty  of  rendering  thefe  mediae- 
val hymns  into  Englifh  is  caufed  by  the  fact 
that  generally  they  are  both  in  Latin  and  in 
rhyme,  and  the  rhyme  is  often  double-rhyme, 
an  element  which  is  little  better  than  artificial 
in  our  monofyllabic  Englifh  tongue.  If  the 
reader  will  compare  the  following  fpecimens  he 
will  fee  how  far  apart  tranflators  can  be. 

The  firft  tranflation  is   Mr.  Duffield's;  the 

fecond  is  one  which  I  made  for  the  Seven  Great 

Hymns;  the  third,  it  is  needlefs  to  fay,  is  Dr. 

Neale's. 

xii 


Introduction. 

Hora  noviflima,  ||  tempora  peflima  ||  funt,  vigilemus. 
Ecce  minaciter  ||  imminet  arbiter  ||  ille  furpremus. 
Imminet,  imminet  ||  et  mala  terminet,  ||  aequa  coronet, 
Recta  remuneret,  ||  anxia  liberet,  ||  aethera  donet, 
Auferat  afpera  ||  duraque  pondera  ||  mentes  onuftae, 
Sobria  muniat,  ||  improba  puniat,  |  utraque  jufte. 

Thefe  are  the  latter  times,  thefe  are  not  better 

times,  let  us  ftand  waiting: 
Lo,  how  with  awfulnefs  He,  firft  in  lawfulnefs, 

comes  arbitrating! 
Nearer  and  nearer  yet! — Wrong  fhall  in  terror  fet, 

right  mine  refulgent. 
Sad  ones  He  liberates,  righteous  renumerates,  ever 

indulgent  ; 
Harflinefs  He  mitigates,  burdened  fouls  animates, 

freeing  them  lightly; 
Holy  ones  blefleth  He,  wicked  diftrefieth  He — 

each  alike  rightly. 

Hours  of  the  lateft!  times  of  the  bafeft!  our  vigil  before  us! 
Judgment  eternal  of  Being  fupernal  now  hanging  o'er  us! 
Evil  to  terminate,  equity  vindicate,  cometh  the  Kingly; 
Righteoufnefs  feeing,  anxious  hearts  freeing,  crowning  each  fingly, 
Bearing  life's  wearinefs,  tafting  life's  bitternefs,  life  as  it  must  be 
Th'  righteous  retaining,  finners  arraigning,  judging  all  juftly. 

The  world  is  very  evil, 

The  times  are  waxing  late; 
Be  fober  and  keep  vigil, 

The  Judge  is  at  the  gate— 

xiii 


Introduction. 

The  Judge  that  comes  in  mercy, 

The  Judge  that  comes  with  might, 
To  terminate  the  evil, 

To  diadem  the  right. 
When  the  juft  and  gentle  Monarch 

Shall  fummon  from  the  tomb, 
Let  man,  the  guilty,  tremble, 

For  Man,  the  God,  fhall  doom! 

II. 

The  Dies  Irte  is  undoubtedly  the  greateft  of 
the  mediaeval  hymns.  It  ftands  "majeftic  and 
folitary"  in  the  words  of  Mr.  Benedict;  its 
ftrain  is  "fo  clear  and  deep  that  its  fofteft  tones 
are  heard  throughout  Chriftendom,"  in  the 
words  of  Mrs.  Charles.  The  zeal  of  the  trans- 
lator has  not  cooled,  and  many  tranflations 
have  been  publifhed,  and  many,  unpubliihed, 
have  been  fent  to  me  fince  the  flrft  edition  of 
this  work.  A  fecond  verfion  was  made  by 
General  Dix,  which  he  deemed  fuperior  to  the 
flrft,  but  which  was  unqueftionably  inferior. 
The  firft  ftanza,  for  example, is  as  follows: 

Day  of  vengeance,  lo !  that  morning 
On  the  earth  in  afhes  dawning, 
David  with  the  Sibyl  warning. 

xiv 


Introduction. 

For  this  he  difplaced  the  ftanza  of  the  firft 
verfion  which  the  Rev.  Franklin  Johnfon  has 
characterized  as  never  furpafled  in  "its  high 
finifh,  its  delicate  fuggeftion  of  the  antique  and 
its  perfection  of  form."  I  have,  therefore, 
retained  the  firft  verfion.  The  effort  of  trans- 
lators generally  has  been  to  reproduce  the 
double-rhyme  of  the  original;  but  the  truth  is 
that  the  fingle-rhyme  better  preferves  for  the 
Englifh  reader  the  two  important  elements  of 
Simplicity  and  ftrength.  Of  fuch  tranflations  I 
have  found  none  better  than  that  of  Mr.  Sloflbn. 
In  1883  a  tranflation  of  the  Dies  Irae  was 
publifhed  by  the  Rev.  Franklin  Johnfon,  of 
Chicago,  which  I  regard  as  the  moft  nearly 
perfect  in  form  that  has  ever  been  made,  and 
which  I  have  incorporated  in  this  edition.  Dr. 
Johnfon  fays  in  his  preface  that  he  publifhed  a 
previous  edition  in  1865;  that  the  work  of 
tranflation  occupied  his  attention  at  frequent 
intervals  during  a  period  of  fifteen  years,  and 
that  there  were  weeks  in  succeffion  during 
which,  both  day  and  night,  his  mind  was  filled 
with  the  ftanzas.  I  may  well  believe  this,  for 
nothing  has  ever  been  publifhed  which  denotes 
xv 


.  Introduction. 

in  the  translator  fuch  fervor  of  admiration  re- 
ftrained  by  fuch  exacting  criticifm.  Indeed,  I 
am  inclined  to  believe  that  Dr.  Johnfon  fo  scru- 
puloufly  complied  with  his  own  inexorable 
canons  as  to  difpoil  his  tranflation  of  poetic 
beauties  which  might  better  have  been  retained. 
For  example,  he  facrificed  the  moft  exact  and 
poetical  tranflation  of  the  thirteenth  ftanza  that 
has  ever  been  made  becaufe  it  contained  the 
word  "  fhriven  " — becaufe  the  word  fhrive  "  is 
a  fectarian  term,  and  is  ufed  in  general  with 
reference  to  the  Romifh  Church,  the  Dies  Irae 
being  Angularly  free  from  everything  peculiar 
to  the  communion  of  which  its  author  was  a 
member."  When  the  word  is  taken  in  con- 
nection with  Him  "by  whom  the  thief  was 
fhriven,"  I  deem  this  criticifm  is  too  technical 
and  the  tranflation  is  as  free  from  sectarianifm 
as  the  original.  I  have,  therefore,  taken  the 
liberty  of  reftoring  the  rejected  ftanza.  Taking 
this  verfion  all  in  all,  its  adherence  to  the 
meafure  of  the  original,  its  retention  of  the 
double-rhyme,  its  avoidance  of  the  Englifh  par- 
ticiple ending  in  "  ing,"  its  prefervation  of  the 
ideas  and  imagery  of  the  original,  I  doubt 
xvi 


Introduction, 

whether  a  better  tranflation  will  ever  be  made 
by  a  tranflator  of  the  critical  fchool. 

Neverthelefs,  thefe  things  muft  be  borne  in 
mind — that  power  is  the  great  characteristic  of 
the  Dies  Irae ;  that  its  power  cannot  be  trans- 
ferred to  Englifh  verfe  by  means  of  the  weakeft 
form  of  Englifh  words ;  that  the  double-rhyme 
has,  to  the  Englifh  ear,  fomething  of  the  jingle 
of  the  humorous  ballad ;  and  that,  if  we  would 
feel  the  ftrength  of  the  great  hymn,  we  muft, 
foregoing  form,  go  to  the  old  verfion  of  Crafhaw, 
or  to  single-rhyme  tranflations  like  that  of  Mr. 
Sloflbn. 

III. 

The  Stabat  Mater  lofes  more  by  tranflation, 
probably,  than  any  other  piece  of  poetry  that 
was  ever  written.  "The  foft,  fad  melody  of 
its  verfe  is  untranflatable "  (Dr.  Schaff).  If 
we  take  the  lines,  melodious  in  their  pathos, 

Quae  moerebat  et  dolebat, 
Pia  mater,  dum  videbat, 

and  render  them  into  Englifh  as  Dr.  Schaff  has 

done, 

xvii 


Introduction. 

Who  flood  grieving,  fighs  upheaving, 
Spirit-reaving,  bofom-cleavingj 

or  as  Dr.  Coles  tranflates  them, 

Trembling,  grieving,  bofom-heaving; 
While  perceiving,  fcarce  believing, 

we  bring  them  periloufly  near  to  the  abfurd. 

In  a  word,  free  tranflations  do  not  catch  the 
delicate  pathos  of  the  Stabat  Mater,  and  are  not 
echoes  of  its  melody.  I  have  hitherto  had  an 
occafion  to  fay  that  a  tranflator  may  well  make 
three  tranflations  of  a  poem;  one  to  portray  its 
ftructure,  that  is,  its  meafure,  melody,  move- 
ment and  rhyme ;  one  to  present  in  detail  its 
ideas  and  images;  and  one  to  produce  an 
impreflion  as  fimilar  as  poflible  to  that  of  the 
original  on  the  mind  of  the  reader.  But  many 
renderings  do  not  feem  to  bring  nearer  to  us 
the  elufive  power  of  this  original.  The  more 
the  Stabat  Mater  is  tranflated,  the  farther  it 
drifts  from  us. 

Here,  however,  I  mould  add  that  Dr.  Franklin 
Johnfon  has  publifhed  a  tranflation  of  the  Stabat 
Mater — a  beautiful  poem  in  a  beautiful  fetting 
— which  probably  comes  as  near  to  the  fpirit  of 
the  original  as  Englifh  verfe  will  ever  bring  us. 
xviii 


Introduction. 

The  Mater  Speciofa  is  not  one  of  the  Seven 
Great  Hymns.  It  has  been  inferted  here  becaufe 
it  is  clofely  aflbciated  with  the  other  poem  and 
in  fome  degree  an  expofition  of  it.  Like  the 
Stabat  Mater,  it  has  generally  been  afcribed  to 
Jacobus  de  Benedic~his,  and  I  have  left  his  name 
as  the  reputed  author.  My  own  opinion,  how- 
ever, is  that  it  was  neither  written  by  him  nor 
before  the  Stabat  Mater.  Thefe  conclufions 
reft  on  what  we  know  of  Jacobus  and  on  the 
internal  evidence  of  the  two  poems.  I.  One 
of  them  is  undifputably  fecondary — a  com- 
panion-piece to  the  other.  2.  The  Stabat 
Mater  is  founded  on  the  fcriptural  basis  of  the 
text  in  John,  "there  stood  by  the  cross  of  Jesus 
his  mother,"  as  the  Dies  Irae  is  founded  on  the 
scriptural  basis  of  the  terrible  text  in  Joel. 
This  fact  alone  is  fumcient  to  be  termed  con- 
clufive;  i.  e.,  the  poem  fprings  from  that  text 
and  not  from  another  poem.  Converfely,  the 
Mater  Speciofa  fprings  from  the  other  poem 
and  not  from  a  fcriptural  image.  The  picture 
in  John  was  the  germ  of  both  poems.  3.  The 
Stabat  Mater  is  the  poem  of  the  great  tragedy 
of  the  world;  the  Mater  Speciofa  runs  upon 
xix 


Introduction. 

lines  of  ordinary  human  emotions.  It  follows 
the  meafure  and  catches  the  melody  and  adopts 
the  fentiment  of  its  original;  but  it  is  of  inferior 
texture,  and  in  places  its  pathos  verges  on  the 
extravagant.  4.  One  or  the  other  of  thefe 
two  poems  has  the  fundamental  element  of 
imitation;  it  is  neceflarily  a  clever  piece  of 
literary  workmanfhip,  following  the  other  in 
stanza,  in  meafure,  in  words,  and  often  in  the 
repetition  of  lines;  it  may  be  melodious,  poetical, 
beautiful,  but  confefledly  it  cannot  be  in  the 
true  fenfe  of  the  term  original.  If  I  muft 
choofe  between  the  two,  I  do  not  hefitate  to  fay 
that  the  fecondary  poem  is  the  Speciofa.  The 
Stabat  Mater  feems  to  me  one  of  thofe  mar- 
velous outburfts  which  feize  the  hearts  and 
imaginations  of  men  and  come  down  the  cen- 
turies with  unabated  power. 

IV. 

The  Veni  Sancte  Spiritus  is  ftill  reprefented  by 
a  fingle  tranflation,  that  of  Catherine  Wink- 
worth,  which  is  indeed  but  a  tranflation  of  a 
tranflation,  the  German.  The  reader  will  find 
a  much  more  actual  rendering  in  Mrs.  Charles' 
xx 


Introduction, 

"Chriftian  Life  in  Song.**  But  here  again  the 
two  renderings  illuftrate  how  the  more  free  is 
occafionally  the  more  literal;  how  it  may  give 
the  leading  thought  or  image  of  the  author 
which  the  more  critical  may  overlook.  Thus 
the 

Come,  Thou  Father  of  the  poor, 
Giver  from  a  boundlefs  ftore 
Light  of  Hearts,  O  fhine! 

of  Mrs.  Charles,  mifles  the  impreflive  Veni, 
Veni,  Veni  of  the  original,  which  is  fplendidly 
rendered  by  Mifs  Winkworth: 

Come,  Father  of  the  poor,  to  earth; 
Come  with  Thy  gifts  of  precious  worth; 
Come,  Light  of  all  of  mortal  birth ! 


The  Veni  Creator  Spiritus  has  been  afcribed  to 
Charlemagne,  and  in  the  flrft  edition  it  was  faid, 
with  fome  refervation,  that  his  authorfhip  is  not 
impoflible.  I  have  allowed  his  name  to  remain 
at  the  head  of  it,  but  my  prefent  conclufion  is 
that  it  was  written  before  the  time  of  the  Great 
King.  Mr.  Benedict,  judging  from  internal 
evidence  alone,  afcribes  it  to  St.  Ambrofe,  who 
xxi 


Introduction, 

xlied  in  397.  It  feems  to  me  improbable  that  fo 
well  known  a  hymn  would  not  have  been  always 
clafled  with  his  other  hymns,  and  that  it  would 
have  flept,  if  written  before  397,  for  at  leaft 
three  hundred  years. 

VI. 

The  Vexilla  Regis  is  the  fixth  of  thefe  expofi- 
tional  hymns.  The  firft  five,  as  it  were, 
felected  themfelves,  i.  e.,  there  was  no  queftion 
as  to  their  being  taken  and  others  left.  But  at 
this  point  the  work  of  rejection  began.  This 
hymn  is  not  one  of  the  great  fpiritual  hymns  of 
the  world;  but  the  object  of  this  compilation 
was  to  give  an  expofition  of  the  fubjecl:  by 
hymns  which  were  both  reprefentative  and  cele- 
brated. The  Vexilla  has  indeed  been  a  famous 
hymn — a  hymn  of  ecclefiaftical  warfare  and 
victory  which  has  rung  around  the  world. 
<cIn  the  churches  of  our  own  country  and 
time,"  as  the  late  Prefident  Welling  has  faid, 
**  may  be  heard  fnatches  and  echoes  of  that 
antique  poefy  which  was  firft  intoned  in  the 
New     World    by    the  Jefuit   miflionaries   and 

Komifti  ecclefiaftics  who  planted  the  cedar  and 
xxii 


Introduction. 

the  cedar-crofs  along  the  fhores  of  the  Great 
Lakes  and  the  waters  of  the  West,  chanting 
the  while,  amidft  the  painted  favages  who  ftood 
around  in  their  robes  of  beaver  and  buffalo,  the 
fonorous  paffion-hymn  of  Fortunatus,  "  Vexilla 
regis  prodeunt." 

VII. 

The  Alleluiatic  Sequence  may  likewife  be  clafled 
as  a  famous  hymn.  It  was  felected  for  the 
fame  reafons  as  the  Vexilla  Regis,  and  for  the 
additional  reafon  that  it  is  regarded  as  the  parent 
of  every  Hallelujah  Chorus  that  has  been 
written  fince.  At  the  time  of  the  original  com- 
pilation I  hefitated  for  a  long  time  between  it 
and  the  De  Gloria  et  Gaudiis  Paradifi  of 
Damiani,  but  at  laft  compromifed  with  my 
doubts  by  felecting  the  chorus  but  fetting  forth 
Mr.  Wackerbarth's  tranflation  of  the  De  Gloria 
in  the  notes  to  the  Celeftial  Country,  where  it 
will  now  be  found. 

C.  C.  Nott. 
January,  1902. 


xxin 


THE 

CELESTIAL    COUNTRY, 


BERNARD  DE  MORLAS,  monk  of  Clu- 
ni,  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  great 
Bernard  his  contemporary,  Abbot  of  Clairvaux, 
and  Saint  in  the  Romifh  calendar.  The  place 
of  his  nativity  is  uncertain,  and  the  years  of  his 
birth  and  of  his  death  are  alike  unknown.  He 
lived  during  the  firft  half  of  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury ;  he  was  born,  according  to  one  authority, 
at  Morlaix,  in  Bretagne ;  according  to  another, 
at  Morlas,  in  the  lower  Pyrenees ;  whilft  a  third 
gives  his  birth-place  to  England,  and  claffes  him 
with  her  illuftrious  writers  [De  illujiribus  Anglics 
Scriptoribus).1  After  feven  centuries  of  com- 
parative forgetfulnefs,  the  genius  of  two  Englifh 
fcholars  has  revived  a  portion  of  his  works  ;  and 
hereafter  his  name  will  be  beft  known  in  that 
country,  which  may  poffibly  poflefs  his  birth- 
place. 


2  Tbe  Celeftial  Country. 

There  ftill  survive  of  his  writings  five  poems, 
the  greateft  of  which  is  De  Contemptu  Mundu 
It  was  written  about  1 145,  and  contains  three 
thoufand  lines,  divided  into  three  books.  In 
fubftance  the  poem  is  a  fatire,  unforgiving  and 
fevere  :  in  form  it  is  in  da&ylic  hexameter  verfe. 
According  to  Dr.  Duffield,  to  whofe  judgment 
I  defer,  "each  line  confifts  of  a  firft  part  com- 
pofed  of  two  da&yls,  a  fecond  containing  two 
more  dactyls,  and  a  third  made  up  of  a  dactyl 
and  a  trochee.  The  laft  da£tyls  of  the  firft  and 
second  parts  rhyme  together,  and  the  lines  are 
in  couplets — the  final  trochees  alfo  rhyming. 
This  remark  upon  the  dactylic  nature  of  the 
rhymes  in  the  firft  two  parts  is  not  made  by 
Neale  or  Coles  or  the  compiler  of  the  Seven 
Great  Hymns.  They  all  italicife  the  laft  two 
fyllables,  whereas  it  mould  be  the  laft  three, 
i.  e.,  the  foot  itself. 

Sobria  muniat  ||  improba  puniat  ||  utraque  juste, 

is  in  all  refpects  a  perfect  line — each  foot  being 
a  word,  and  the  rhyme  unimpeachable." 


tfbe  Celefiial  Country,  3 

This  verfe,  fo  difficult  that  the  Englifh  lan- 
guage is  incapable  of  expreffing  it,  is  continued 
through  the  three  thoufand  lines  of  the  poem. 
In  his  preface  the  monk  avows  the  belief  that 
nothing  but  the  fpecial  infpiration  of  the  Spirit 
of  God  enabled  him  to  employ  it  through  fo 
long  a  poem.  After  recounting  its  difficulties, 
and  alluding  to  the  faint  attempts  of  the  two 
great  verifiers  of  his  day,  Hildebert  de  Lavar- 
din  and  Wichard  of  Lyons,  he  exclaims  :  "  I 
"  may  then  afTert,  not  in  oftentation,  but  with 
"  humble  confidence,  that  if  I  had  not  received 
"  directly  from  on  high  the  gift  of  infpiration 
"and  intelligence,  I  had  not  dared  to  attempt 
"an  enterprife  fo  little  accorded  to  the  powers 
"  of  the   human  mind." 


"  This  work,"  fays  the  author  of  the  Hijioire  Litteraire  de  la 
France,  "was  drawn  from  the  duft  in  1483,  and  its  publication 
"  was  achieved  on  the  tenth  of  December  of  the  fame  year,  at 
*'  Paris,  in  magni  domo  campi  Gaillardi.  The  Proteftants,  eager 
"  to  gather  every  thing  which  appears  unfavorable  to  the  Church 
"  of  Rome,  have  fince  multiplied  the  editions.  Some  Catholics 
"  have  alfo  given  to  it  fome  praifes  j  and  furely  it  merits  them, 
"  at  leaft  by  the  fentiments  of  piety  which  it  exhales,  and  by  the 
"zeal  with  which  the  author  attack*  the  abufea  of  his  time." 


4  tfhe  Celefiial  Country, 

"  In  holy  Rome  the  only  power  is  gold ; 
There  all  is  bought — there  every  thing  is  fold. 
Becaufe  fhe  is  the  very  way  to  right, 
There  truth  is  perifhed  by  unholy  Height. 
Even  as  the  wheel  turns,  Rome  to  evil  turns, 
Rome,  that  fpreads  fragrance  as  when  incenfe  burns. 
Rome  wrongs  mankind,  and  teaches  men  the  road 
To  flee  far  off  from  Righteoufnefs'  abode ! 
To  feek  for  ruinous  and  difgraceful  gain, 
The  pallium's  felf  with  limony  to  ftain. 
If  aught  you  wifh,  be  fure  a  goodly  bribe 
Will  hafte  the  fealing  of  the  lingering  fcribe. 
Rife  !  follow  !  let  your  penny  go  before, 
Seek  boldly  then  the  threfhold  ;   fear  no  more 
That  any  ftumbling-blocks  will  bar  the  way, 
The  Pope's  own  favor  you  can  get  for  pay — 
Without  that  help,  'tis  beft  to  keep  away." 

The  opening  of  this  monkifh  fatire  on  the 
corruptions  of  its  barbarous  age,  glows  with  a 
defcription  of  the  Heavenly  Land  more  beauti- 
ful than  ever  before  was  wrought  in  verfe. 
This  a  great  fcholar  of  our  time  has  taken  from 
the  poem  and  brought  within  the  reach  and 
notice  of  the  world  (Trench).  It  alfo  has  been 
re-woven  into  fimple  Englifh  verfe,  and  has  re- 
ceived the  appropriate  name  of  The  Celestial 
Country. 


'The  Celeftial  Country.  5 

The  tranflator  of  The  Celestial  Country 
is  Dr.  John  Mafon  Neale,  Warden  of  Sack- 
ville  College,  SufTex,  England,  the  moft  fuccefT- 
ful  tranflator  of  mediaeval  hymns,  and  one  of 
the  moft  varied  and  voluminous  writers  of  the 
time.  "Lays  and  Legends  of  the  Church  of 
England  ;"  "  A  Church  Hiftory  for  Children  ;" 
feven  volumes  of  romances ;  a  hiftory  of  Greece  ; 
a  hiftory  of  Portugal ;  of  the  Patriarchate  of 
Alexandria,  and  of  the  Janfenift  Church  of 
Holland  ;  a  large  number  of  tales  and  hymns 
for  children,  and  a  moft  learned  and  elaborate 
commentary  on  the  Book  of  Pfalms,  are  included 
in  the  long  catalogue  of  his  works. 

This  fcholar  of  Cambridge,  and  this  monk  of 
Cluni,  have  given  to  the  religious  world  the 
fweeteft  and  deareft  religious  poem  that  our  lan- 
guage contains.  Dr.  Neale  fays  that  he  looks 
upon  the  lines  of  Bernard  u  as  the  moft  lovely, 
"  in  the  fame  way  that  the  Dies  Ira  is  the  moft 
"  fublime,  and  the  Stabat  Mater  the  moft  pathetic 
u  of  mediaeval  poems,"  but  his  own  poem  may 
claim  more  juftly  that  word.  The  Celestial 
Country  is  better  than  De  Contemptu  Mundi. 


6  The  Celefiial  Country. 

The  beautiful  fimplicity  of  its  artlefs,  childlike 
lines  portrays  more  naturally  the  fervid  imagery 
of  the  monk.  After  feven  hundred  years  of 
darknefs,  the  holy  fervor  of  Bernard  re-kindles 
in  it  as  warmly  as  when  in  the  warmth  of  his 
devotion  he  believed  himfelf  fpecially  infpired 
by  the  Moft  High.  In  another  language,  at 
another  time,  and  among  thofe  who  can  but 
dimly  trace  his  name  in  the  crumbling  record 
of  his  works,  the  Rhyme  of  the  poor  monk  re- 
lives to  gladden  the  hearts  of  other  Chriftians, 
loved  by  fuch  as  poflefs  its  faith,  and  treafured 
by  the  gentleft  and  the  beft  of  earth.3 


ftbe  Celeftial  Country. 


THE 

CELESTIAL    COUNTRY 

DR.    NEALE. 


I. 


THE  world  is  very  evil, 
The  times  are  waxing  late ; 
Be  fober  and  keep  vigil, 

The  Judge  is  at  the  gate — 
The  Judge  that  comes  in  mercy, 

The  Judge  that  comes  with  might, 
To  terminate  the  evil, 

To  diadem  the  right. 
When  the  juft  and  gentle  Monarch 

Shall  fummon  from  the  tomb, 
Let  man,  the  guilty,  tremble, 

For  Man,  the  God,  fhall  doom  ! 


8  The  Celeftial  Country. 


Arife,  arife,  good  Chriftian, 

Let  right  to  wrong  fucceed  ; 
Let  penitential  forrow 

To  heavenly  gladnefs  lead — 
To  the  light  that  hath  no  evening, 

That  knows  nor  moon  nor  fun, 
The  light  fo  new  and  golden, 

The  light  that  is  but  one. 


And  when  the  Sole-Begotten 

Shall  render  up  once  more 
The  kingdom  to  the  Father, 

Whofe  own  it  was  before, 
Then  glory  yet  unheard  of 

Shall  ftied  abroad  its  ray, 
Refolving  all  enigmas, 

An  endlefs  Sabbath-day. 


Then,  then  from  his  oppreffors 
The  Hebrew  fhall  go  free, 


^The  Celeftial  Country. 

And  celebrate  in  triumph 

The  year  of  Jubilee  ; 
And  the  funlit  Land  that  recks  not 

Of  tempeft  nor  of  fight, 
Shall  fold  within  its  bofom 

Each  happy  Ifraelite — 
The  Home  of  fadelefs  fplendor, 

Of  flowers  that  fear  no  thorn, 
Where  they  fhall  dwell  as  children, 

Who  here  as  exiles  mourn. 


Midft  power  that  knows  no  limit, 

And  wifdom  free  from  bound, 
The  Beatific  Vifion 

Shall  glad  the  Saints  around — 
The  peace  of  all  the  faithful, 

The  calm  of  all  the  bleft, 
Inviolate,  unvaried, 

Divineft,  fweeteft,  beft. 
Yes,  peace  !    for  war  is  needlefs — 

Yes,  calm  !    for  ftorm  is  paft — 
And  goal  from  finifhed  labor, 

And  anchorage  at  laft. 


lO  ^he  Celeflial  Country. 

6. 

That  peace — but  who  may  claim  it  ? 

The  guilelefs  in  their  way, 
Who  keep  the  ranks  of  battle, 

Who  mean  the  thing  they  fay — 
The  peace  that  is  for  heaven, 

And  mall  be  for  the  earth  ; 
The  palace  that  re-echoes 

With  feftal  fong  and  mirth  ; 
The  garden,  breathing  fpices, 

The  paradife  on  high  ; 
Grace  beautified  to  glory, 

Unceafing  minftrelfy. 


There  nothing  can  be  feeble, 

There  none  can  ever  mourn, 
There  nothing  is  divided, 

There  nothing  can  be  torn. 
'Tis  fury,  ill,  and  fcandal, 

'Tis  peacelefs  peace  below  ; 
Peace,  endlefs,  ftrifelefs,  agelefs, 

The  halls  of  Syon  know. 


The  Celeftial  Country.  11 

8. 

O  happy,  holy  portion, 

Refe&ion  for  the  bleft, 
True  vifion  of  true  beauty, 

Sweet  cure  of  all  diftreft  ! 
Strive,  man,  to  win  that  glory  ; 

Toil,  man,  to  gain  that  light  ; 
Send  hope  before  to  grafp  it, 

Till  hope  be  loft  in  light  ; 
Till  Jesus  gives  the  portion 

Thofe  blefled  fouls  to  fill— 
The  infatiate,  yet  fatisfied, 

The  full,  yet  craving  ftill. 


That  fulnefs  and  that  craving 

Alike  are  free  from  pain, 
Where  thou,  midft   heavenly  citizens, 

A  home  like  theirs  fhalt  gain. 
Here  is  the  warlike  trumpet ; 

There,  life  fet  free  from  fin, 
When  to  the  laft  Great  Supper 

The  faithful  mall  come  in  -} 


12  ^he  Celefiial  Country, 

When  the  heavenly  net  is  laden 

With  fifties  many  and  great 
(So  glorious  in  its  fulnefs, 

Yet  fo  inviolate) ; 
And  perfect  from  unperfe&ed, 

And  fall'n  from  thofe  that  ftand,4 
And  the  fheep-flock  from  the  goat-herd 

Shall  part  on  either  hand. 

10. 

And  thefe  fhall  pafs  to  torment, 

And  thofe  (hall  triumph  then — 
The  new  peculiar  nation, 

Bleft  number  of  bleft  men. 
Jerufalem   demands  them  ; 

They  paid  the  price  on  earth, 
And  now  fhall  reap  the  harveft 

In  blifsfulnefs  and  mirth — 
The  glorious  holy  people, 

Who  evermore  relied 
Upon  their  Chief  and  Father, 

The  King,  the  Crucified — 
The  facred  ranfomed  number 

Now  bright  with  endlefs  fheen, 


The  Celeftial  Country.  13 

Who  made  the  Crofs  their  watchword 

Of  Jesus  Nazarene, 
Who  (fed  with  heavenly  ne&ar 

Where  foul-like  odors  play) 
Draw  out  the  endlefs  leifure 

Of  that  long  vernal  day. 

11. 

And,  through  the  facred  lilies 

And  flowers  on  every  fide, 
The  happy  dear-bought   people 

Go  wandering  far  and  wide  ; 
Their  breafts  are  filled  with  gladnefs, 

Their  mouths  are  tun'd  to  praife, 
What  time,  now  fafe  for  ever, 

On  former  fins  they  gaze  : 
The  fouler  was  the  error, 

The  fadder  was  the  fall, 
The  ampler  are  the  praifes 

Of   Him  who  pardoned  all. 

12. 

Their  one  and  only  anthem, 
The  fulnefs  of  His   love, 


14  The  Celejlial  Country. 

Who  gives  inftead  of  torment, 

Eternal  joys  above — 
Inftead  of  torment,  glory  ; 

Inftead  of  death,  that  life 
Wherewith  your  happy  Country, 

True  Ifraelites,  is  rife. 

*3- 

Brief  life  is  here  our  portion, 
Brief  forrow,  fhort-liv'd  care  ; 

The  life  that  knows  no  ending — 
The  tearlefs  life,  is  there. 

14. 

O  happy  retribution  ! 

Short  toil,  eternal  reft  ; 
For  mortals  and  for  finners 

A  manfion  with  the  bleft  ! 
That  we  fhould  look,  poor  wand'rers, 

To  have  our  home  on  high  ! 
That  worms  mould  feek  for  dwelling, 

Beyond  the  ftarry  Iky  ! 
To  all  one  happy  guerdon 

Of  one  celeftial  grace  ; 


<Tbe  Celejiial  Country. 


For  all,  for  all,  who  mourn  their  fall, 
Is  one  eternal  place. 

15- 

And  martyrdom  hath  rofes 

Upon  that  heavenly  ground  ; 
And  white  and  virgin  lilies 

For  virgin-fouls  abound. 
There  grief  is  turned  to  pleafure — 

Such  pleafure  as  below 
No  human  voice  can  utter, 

No  human  heart  can  know  ; 
And  after  flefhly  fcandal, 

And  after  this  world's  night, 
And  after  ftorm  and  whirlwind, 

Is  calm,  and  joy,  and  light. 

16. 

And  now  we  fight  the  battle, 
But  then  mail  wear  the  crown 

Of  full  and  everlafting 
And  paflionlefs  renown  : 

And  now  we  watch  and  ftruggle, 


16  The  Celeftial  Country. 

And  now  we  live  in  hope, 
And  Syon,  in  her  anguifh, 

With  Babylon  muft  cope  ; 
But  He  whom  now  we  truft  in 

Shall  then  be  feen  and  known, 
And  they  that  know  and  fee  Him 

Shall  have  Him  for  their  own. 

17. 

The  miferable  pleafures 

Of  the  body  fhall  decay  ; 
The  bland  and  flattering  ftruggles 

Of  the  flefh  fhall   pafs  away  ; 
And  none  fhall  there  be  jealous, 

And  none  fhall  there  contend  ; 
Fraud,  clamor,  guile — what  fay  I  ? 

All  ill,  all  ill  fhall  end  ! 

18. 

And  there  is  David's  Fountain, 
And  life  in  fulleft  glow  ; 

And  there  the  light  is  golden, 
And  milk  and  honey  flow — 


The  Celeftial  Country.  17 

The  light  that  hath  no  evening, 
The  health  that  hath  no  fore, 

The  life  that  hath  no  ending, 
But  lafteth  evermore. 

19. 

There  Jesus  fhall  embrace  us, 

There  Jesus  be  embraced — 
That  fpirit's  food  and  funfhine 

Whence  earthly  love  is  chafed. 
Amidft  the  happy  chorus, 

A  place,  however  low, 
Shall  fhew  Him  us,  and  fhewing, 

Shall  fatiate  evermo. 

20. 

By  hope  we  ftruggle  onward  : 

While  here  we  muft  be  fed 
By  milk,  as  tender  infants, 

But  there  by  Living  Bread. 
The  night  was  full  of  terror, 

The  morn  is  bright  with  gladnefs  ; 
The  Crofs  becomes  our  harbor, 

And  we  triumph  after  fadnefs. 


x8  The  Celeftial  Country. 

21. 

And  Jesus  to  His  true  ones 

Brings  trophies  fair  to  fee  ; 
And  Jesus   (hall  be  loved,  and 

Beheld  in  Galilee — 
Beheld,  when  morn  fhall  waken, 

And  fhadows  fhall  decay, 
And  each  true-hearted  fervant 

Shall  mine  as  doth  the  day  ; 
And  every  ear  fhall  hear  it — 

"  Behold  thy  King's  array, 
Behold  thy  God  in  beauty, 

The  Law  hath  pafs'd  away/9* 


22. 


Yes  !    God  my  King  and  Portion, 

In  fulnefs  of  Thy  grace, 
We  then  fhall  fee  for  ever, 

And  worfhip  face  to  face. 
Then  Jacob  into  Ifrael, 

From  earthlier  felf  eftranged, 
And  Leah  into  Rachel 

For  ever  fhall  be  changed;5 


^he  Celejlial  Country.  19 

Then  all  the  halls  of  Syon 

For  aye  fliall  be  complete, 
And  in  the  Land  of  Beauty, 

All  things  of  beauty  meet. 

23- 

For  thee,  O  dear,  dear  Country  ! 

Mine  eyes  their  vigils  keep  ; 
For  very  love,  beholding 

Thy  happy  name,  they  weep. 
The  mention  of  thy  glory 

Is  unction  to  the  breaft, 
And   medicine  in  ficknefs, 

And  love,  and  life,  and  reft. 

24. 

O  one,  O  onely  Manfion  I 

O  Paradife  of  Joy  ! 
Where  tears  are  ever  banifhed, 

And  fmiles  have  no  alloy, 
Befide  thy  living  waters 

All  plants  are,  great  and  fmall, 
The  cedar  of  the  foreft, 


20  The  Celeftial  Country, 

The   hyflbp  of  the  wall  ; 
With  jafpers  glow  thy  bulwarks, 

Thy  ftreets  with  emeralds  blaze, 
The  fardius  and  the  topaz 

Unite  in  thee  their  rays  ; 
Thine  agelefs  walls  are  bonded 

With  amethyft  unpriced  ; 
Thy  Saints  build  up  its  fabric, 

And  the  corner-ftone  is  Christ.6 


25. 

The  Crofs  is  all  thy  fplendor, 

The  Crucified  thy  praife  ; 
His  laud  and  benediction 

Thy  ranfomed  people  raife  : 
"  Jesus,  the  Gem  of  Beauty, 

True  God  and  Man"  they  fing, 
"  The  never-failing   Garden, 

The  ever-golden  Ring ; 
The  Door,  the  Pledge,  the  Hujband, 

The   Guardian  of  his   Court  s 
The  Day-flar  of  Salvation, 

The  Porter  and  the  Port!" 


The  Celeftial  Country  21 

26. 

Thou  hast  no  shore,  fair  ocean  ! 

Thou  hast  no  time,  bright  day  ! 
Dear  fountain  of  refreshment 

To  pilgrims  far  away  ! 
Upon  the  Rock  of  Ages 

They  raise  thy  holy  tower  ; 
Thine  is  the  victor's  laurel, 

And  thine  the  golden  dower  ! 

27. 

Thou  feel'ft  in  myftic  rapture, 

O   Bride  that  know'ft  no  guile, 
The  Prince's  fweeteft  kiffes, 

The  Prince's  lovelieft  fmile ; 
Unfading  lilies,  bracelets 

Of  living  pearl  thine  own  ; 
The  Lamb  is  ever  near  thee, 

The   Bridegroom  thine  alone. 
The  Crown  is  He  to  guerdon, 

The  Buckler  to  protect, 
And  He  Himfelf  the  Manfion, 

And  He  the  Architect. 


22  The  Celeftial  Country. 

28. 

The  only  art  thou  needeft — 
Thankfgiving  for   thy  lot  ; 

The  only  joy  thou  feekeft — 
The  Life  where   Death  is  not. 

And  all  thine  endlefs  leifure, 
In  fweeteft  accents,  fings 

The  ill  that  was  thy  merit, 

The  wealth  that  is  thy  King's  ! 

29. 

Jerusalem  the  golden, 

With  milk  and  honey  blest, 
Beneath  thy  contemplation 

Sink  heart  and  voice  oppressed. 
i  know  not,  o  i  know  not, 

What  social  joys  are  there  ! 
What  radiancy  of  glory, 

What  light  beyond  compare  ! 

3°- 
And  when  I  fain  would  fing  them, 
My  fpirit  fails  and  faints  5 


cTbe  Celeftial  Country.  23 

And  vainly  would  it  image 
The  affembly  of  the  Saints. 


31- 

They  stand,  those  halls  of  Syon, 

conjubilant  with  song, 
And  bright  with  many  an  angel, 

And  all  the  martyr  throng  ; 
The  Prince  is  ever  in  them, 

The  daylight  is  serene  ; 
The  pastures  of  the  Blessed 

Are  decked  in  glorious  sheen. 


32- 

There  is  the  Throne  of  David, 

And  there,  from  care  releaser 
The  song  of  them  that  triumph, 

The  shout  of  them  that  feast  ; 
And  they  who,  with  their  Leader, 

Have  conquered  in  the  fight, 
For  ever  and  for  ever 

Are  clad  in  robes  of  white  !  f 


24  The  Celejlial  Country* 

33- 

O  holy,  placid  harp-notes 

Of  that  eternal  hymn  ! 
O  facred,  fweet  refection, 

And  peace  of  Seraphim  ! 
O  thirft,  for  ever  ardent, 

Yet  evermore  content ! 
O  true  peculiar  vifion 

Of  God  cunclipotent  ! 
Ye  know  the  many  manfions 

For  many  a  glorious  name, 
And  divers  retributions 

That  divers  merits  claim  ; 
For  midft  the  conftellations 

That  deck  our  earthly  fky, 
This  ftar  than  that  is  brighter— 

And  fo  it  is  on  high. 

34- 

Jerufalem  the  glorious  !  W*-*  J****  wX* 

The  glory  of  the  Elecl: ! 
O  dear  and  future  vifion 

That  eager  hearts  expect ! 


The  Celeflial  Country,  25 

Even  now  by  faith  I  fee  thee, 
Even  here  thy  walls  difcern  ; 

To  thee  my  thoughts  are  kindled, 
And  ftrive,  and  pant,  and  yearn. 

35. 

Jerufalem  the  onely, 

That  look'ft  from  heaven  below, 
In  thee  is  all  my  glory, 

In  me  is  all  my  woe  ; 
And  though  my  body  may  not, 

My  fpirit  feeks  thee  fain, 
Till  flefh  and  earth  return  me 

To  earth  and  flefh  again. 

36. 

O  none  can  tell  thy  bulwarks, 

How  glorioufly  they  rife  ! 
O  none  can  tell  thy   capitals 

Of  beautiful  device  ! 
Thy  lovelinefs  oppreffes 

All  human  thought  and  heart  j 
And  none,  O  peace,  O  Syon, 

Can  fing  thee  as  thou  art ! 


26  *Tbe  Celefiial  Country. 

37- 

New  manfion  of  new  people, 

Whom   God's   own  love  and  light 
Promote,  increafe,  make  holy, 

Identify,  unite  ! 
Thou  City  of  the  Angels  ! 

Thou   City  of  the  Lord  ! 
Whofe  everlafting  mufic 

Is  the  glorious  decachord  !8 

38. 

And  there  the  band  of  Prophets 

United   praife  afcribes, 
And  there  the  twelvefold  chorus 

Of  Ifrael's  ranfomed  tribes, 
The  lily-beds  of  virgins, 

The  rofes'  martyr-glow, 
The  cohort  of  the  Fathers 

Who  kept  the  Faith  below. 

39- 
And  there  the  Sole-Begotten 
Is  Lord  in  regal  ftate — 


He  Celeftial  Country.  27 

He,  Judah's  myftic  Lion, 

He,  Lamb  Immaculate. 
O  fields  that  know  no  forrow  ! 

O  ftate  that  fears  no  ftrife  ! 

0  princely  bowers  !    O  land  of  flowers  ! 

0  realm  and  home  of  Life  ! 

40. 

Jerufalem,  exulting 

On  that  fecureft  fhore, 

1  hope  thee,  wifh  thee,  fing  thee, 

And  love  thee  evermore  ! 
I  afk  not  for  my  merit, 

1  feek  not  to  deny 
My  merit  is  deftru&ion, 

A  child  of  wrath  am  I  ; 
But  yet  with  Faith  I  venture 

And   Hope  upon  my  way  ; 
For  thofe  perennial  guerdons 

I  labor  night  and  day. 

4i. 
The  beft  and  deareft  Father, 
Who  made  me  and  who  faved, 
3 


28  ^tbe  Celefiial  Country. 

Bore  with  me  in  defilement, 

And   from  defilement  laved, 
When  in  His  ftrength  I  ftruggle, 

For  very  joy  I  leap, 
When  in  my  fin  I  totter, 

I  weep,  or  try  to  weep  : 
But  grace,  fweet  grace  celeftial, 

Shall  all  its  love  difplay, 
And  David's  Royal  Fountain 

Purge  every  fin  away. 

42. 

O  mine,  my  golden  Syon  ! 

O  lovelier  far  than  gold, 
With  laurel-girt  battalions, 

And  fafe  victorious  fold  ! 
O  fweet  and  bleffed  Country, 

Shall  I  ever   fee  thy  face  ? 

0  fweet  and  blefled  Country, 
Shall  I  ever  win  thy  grace  ? 

1  have  the  hope  within  me 

To  comfort  and  to  blefs  ! 
Shall  I  ever  win  the  prize  itfelf  ? 
O  tell  me,  tell  me,  Yes  I 


The  Celeftial  Country.  29 

43- 

Exult,    O  duji  and  ajhes  ! 

The  Lord  Jhall  be  thy  part  j 
His  only,  His  for  ever, 

Thou  Jhalt  be,  and  thou  art ! 
Exult,    O  duji  and  ajhes  ! 

The  Lord  Jhall  be  thy  part  ,• 
His  only,  His  for  ever, 

Thou  Jhalt  be,  and  thou  art  ! 9 


30  The  Celeftial  Country. 


HORA     NOVISSIMA. 

BERNARD    OF    CLUNI. 

HORA  noviffima,  tempora  peflima  flint,  vigi' 
lemus. 
Ecce  minaciter  imminet  arbiter  ille  fupremus. 
Imminet,  imminet  et  mala  terminet,  aequa  coro- 
net, 
Rec~la  remuneret,  anxia  liberet,  aethera  donet, 
Auferat  afpera  duraque  pondera  mentes  onuflae, 
Sobria  muniat,  improba  puniat,  utraque  jufte. 


Hie  breve  vivitur,  hie  breve  plangitur,  hie  breve 

fletur ; 
Non   breve   vivere,   non   breve   plangere   retri- 

buetur ; 
O  retributio  !   flat  brevis  a&io,  vita  perennis ; 
O  retributio  !   ccelica  manfio  flat  lue  plenis  ; 
Quid  datur  et  quibus  ?   aether  egentibus  et  cruce 

dignis, 
Sidera  vermibus,  optima  fontibus,  aflra  malignis. 


^he  Celeftial  Country.  31 

Sunt  modo  praelia,  poftmodo  praemia ;   qualia  ? 

plena, 
Plena  refe&io,  nullaque  paflio,  nullaque  poena  : 
Spe  modo  vivitur,  et  Syon  angitur  a  Babylone ; 
Nunc  tribulatio ;  tunc  recreatio,  fceptra,  coronae  ? 
Tunc  nova  gloria  pe&ora  fobria  clarificabit, 
Solvet  enigmata,  veraque  fabbata  continuabit. 
Liber  et  hoftibus,  et  dominantibus  ibit  Hebrasus ; 
Liber  habebitur  et  celebrabitur  hinc  jubilaeus. 
Patria  luminis,  infcia  turbinis,  infcia  litis, 
Cive  replebitur,  amplificabitur  Ifraelitis ; 
Patria  fplendida,  terraque  florida,  libera  fpinis, 
Danda  fidelibus  eft  ibi  civibus,  hie  peregrinis. 
Tunc  erit  omnibus  infpicientibus  ora  Tonantis 
Summa  potentia,  plena  fcientia,  pax  pia  fan&is  ; 
Pax  fine  crimine,  pax  fine  turbine,  pax  fine  rixa, 
Meta  laboribus,  atque  tumultibus  anchora  fixa. 
Pars  mea  Rex  meus,  in  proprio  Deus  ipfe  decore 
Vifus  amabitur,  atque  videbitur  Au&or  in  ore. 
Tunc  Jacob  Ifrael,  et  Lia  tunc  Rachel  efficietur, 
Tunc  Syon  atria  pulcraque  patria  perficietur. 

O  bona  Patria,  lumina  fobria  te  fpeculantur, 
Ad  tua  nomina  lumina  fobria  collacrymantur ; 


32  ^he  Celeftial  Country, 

Eft  tua  mentio  pectoris  un£Ho,  cura  doloris, 
Concipientibus  aethera  mentibus  ignis  amoris. 
Tu  locus  unicus,  illeque  coelicus  es  paradifus, 
Non  ibi  lacryma,  fed  placidiflima  gaudia,  rifus. 
Eft  ibi  confita  laurus,  et  infita  cedrus  hyfopo  -, 
Sunt  radiantia  jafpide  maenia,  clara  pyropo  : 
Hinc  tibi  fardius,  inde  topazius,  hinc  amethyftus  \ 
Eft    tua     fabrica     concio     coelica,    gemmaque 

Chriftus. 
Tu   fine    littore,  tu   fine    tempore,  fons    modd 

rivus, 
Dulce  bonis  fapis,  eftque  tibi  lapis  undique  vivus. 
Eft  tibi  laurea,  dos  datur  aurea,  fponfa  decora, 
Primaque  Principis  ofcula  fufcipis,  infpicis  ora : 
Candida  lilia,  viva  monilia  funt  tibi,  Sponfa, 
Agnus  adeft  tibi,  Sponfus  adeft  tibi,  lux  fpeciofa  : 
Tota  negocia,  cantica  dulcia  dulce  tonare, 
Tarn  mala  debita,  quam  bona  praebita   conju- 

bilare. 
Urbs  Syon  aurea,  patrea  la£tea,  cive  decora, 
Omne  cor  obruis,  omnibus  obftruis  et  cor  et  ora. 
Nefcio,  nefcio,  quae  jubilatio,  lux  tibi  qualis, 
Quam  focialia  gaudia,  gloria  quam  fpecialis  : 
Laude  ftudens  ea  tollere,  mens  mea  vi&a  fatifcit : 


The  Celeftial  Country.  33 

O  bona  gloria,  vincor ;   in  omnia  laus  tua  vicit. 
Sunt  Syon  atria  conjubilantia,  martyre  plena, 
Cive  micantia,  Principe  ftantia,  luce  ferena : 
Eft  ibi  pafcua,  mitibus  afflua,  praeftita  fan&is, 
Regis  ibi  thronus,  agminis  et  fonus  eft  epulantis. 
Gens    duce    fplendida,  concio  Candida  veftibus 

albis 
Sunt  fine  fletibus  in  Syon  aedibus,  aedibus  almis  ; 
Sunt  fine  crimine,  funt  fine  turbine,  funt  fine 

lite 
In  Syon  aedibus  editioribus  Ifraelitae. 
Urbs  Syon  inclyta,  gloria  debita  glorificandis, 
Tu  bona  vifibus  interioribus  intima  pandis : 
Intima  lumina,  mentis  acumina  te  fpeculantur, 
Pechora  flammea  fpe  modo,  poftea  forte  lucran- 

tur. 
Urbs  Syon  unica,  manfio  myftica,  condita  coelo, 
Nunc    tibi   gaudeo,    nunc    mihi    lugeo,    triftor, 

anhelo  : 
Te  quia  corpore  non  queo,  pe&ore  faepe  penetro, 
Sed    caro    terrea,    terraque   carnea,    mox    cado 

retro 
Nemo  retexere,  nemoque  promere  fuftinet  ore, 
Quo  tua  mcenia,  quo  capitalia  plena  decore ; 


-©RAH 
OF  THE 


34  The  Celeftial  Country. 

Opprimit  omne  cor  ille  tuus  decor,  O  Syon,  O 

pax, 
Urbs  fine  tempore,   nulla   poteft   fore  laus  tibi 

mendax  ; 
O  fine  luxibus,  O  fine  lu&ibus,  O  fine  lite 
Splendida  curia,  florida  patria,  patria  vitae  ! 
Urbs  Syon  inclyta,  turris  et  edita  littore  tuto, 
Te  peto,  te  colo,  te  flagro,  te  volo,  canto,  fa- 

luto  ; 
Nee    mentis    peto,    nam    mentis    meto    morte 

perire, 
Nee  reticens  tego,  quod  mentis  ego  filius  irae  ; 
Vita  quidem  mea,  vita  nimis  rea,  mortua  vita, 
Quippe  reatibus  exitialibus  obruta,  trita. 
Spe  tamen  ambulo,  praemia  poftulo  fpeque  fide- 

que, 
Ilia  perennia  poftulo  praemia  nocte  dieque. 
Me  Pater  optimus  atque  piiflimus  ille  creavit ; 
In  lue  pertulit,  ex  lue  fuftulit,  a  lue  lavit. 
Gratia  coelica  fuftinet  unica  totius  orbis, 
Parcere  fordibus,  interioribus  un&io  morbis  ; 
Diluit  omina  coelica  gratia,  fons  David  undans 
Omnia  diluit,  omnibus  affluit,  omnia  mundans ; 
O  pia  gratia,  celfa  palatia  cernere  praefta, 


Hbe  Celeftial  Country.  35 

Ut  videam  bona,  feftaque  confona,  coelica  fefta. 
O  mea,  fpes  mea,  tu  Syon  aurea,  clarior  auro, 
Agmine    fplendida,  ftans    duce,   florida   perpete 

lauro, 
O  bona  patria,  num  tua  gaudia  teque  videbo  ? 
O  bona  patria,  num  tua  praemia  plena  tenebo  ? 
Die    mihi,    flagito,    verbaque    reddito,    dicque, 

videbis. 
Spem  folidam  gero  j    remne   tenens   ero  ?    die, 

Retinebis 
O  facer,  O  pius,  O  ter  et  amplius  ille  beatus, 
Cui  fua  pars  Deus,  O  mifer,  O  reus  hac  vidu- 

atus. IO 


36  Hbe  Celefiial  Country, 


NOTES. 


1  "Le  furnom  de  Bernard  varie  en  trois  manieres  dans  les 
manufcrits.  Les  uns  Texpriment  par  Morlanenfis  qui  Pitfeus 
rapporte  a  une  ville  d*Angleterre  fans  la  defigner ;  les  autres 
portent  Morvalenfis,  que  Fabricius  explique  de  la  vallee  de  Mau- 
rienne  j  il  en  eft  enfin  ou  Ton  trouve  Morlacenfis,  qu'on  peut 
appliquer  ou  a  Morlaix  en  Baffe-Bretagne,  ou  a  la  Morlas  dans 
le  comte  de  Bigorre.  Mais  il  eft  certain,  i°,  que  la  feconde  de- 
nomination eft  la  plus  rare ;  2°,  que  les  anciennes  chartes  em- 
ploient  indifferemment  les  deux  autres  pour  marquer  un  citoyen 
de  la  derniere  ville,  ce  qui  nous  fait  pencher  a  la  regarder  comme 
la  vraie  patrie  de  Bernard." — Hijioire  Litteraire  de  la  France. 

Dr.  Neale  fays  that  Bernard  was  "  born  at  Morlaix  in  Bretagne, 
but  of  Englifh  parents."  Trench  calls  him  "the  contemporary 
and  fellow-countryman  of  his  more  illuftrious  namefake  of 
Clairvaux."  Pitfeus  fimply  fays,  "  Natione  Anglus^  or  dints  S. 
Benedicliy  Monachui  Cluniacenfis." 

1  In  his  introduction  to  "  The  Celeftial  Country,"  Dr.  Neale 
fays : — "  I  have  here  deviated  from  my  ordinary  rule  of  adopting 
the  meafure  of  the  original ;  becaufe  our  language,  if  it  could  be 
tortured  to  any  diftant  refemblance  of  its  rhythm,  would  utterly 
fail  to  give  any  idea  of  the  majeftic  fweetnefs  of  the  Latin." — 
Mediaval  Hymns  and  Sequences.     London,  2d  Edition. 

3  "  As  a  contraft  to  the  mifery  and  pollution  of  earth,"  fays 
Dr.  Neale,  "  the  poem  [De  Contemptu  Mundi\  opens  with  a  de- 
fcription  of  the  peace  and  glory  of  heaven,  of  fuch  rare  beauty 


The  Celefiial  Country.  37 

as  not  eafily  to  be  matched  by  any  mediaeval  compofition  on  the 
fame  fubjeft.  Dean  Trench,  in  his  *  Sacred  Latin  Poetry,'  gave 
a  very  beautiful  cento  of  ninety-five  lines  from  the  work.  From 
that  cento  I  tranflated  the  larger  part  in  the  firft  edition  of  the 
prefent  book,  following  the  arrangement  of  Dean  Trench,  and 
not  that  of  Bernard.  The  great  popularity  which  my  tranflation, 
however  inferior  to  the  original,  attained,  is  evinced  by  the  very 
numerous  hymns  compiled  from  it,  which  have  found  their  way 
into  modern  collections}  fo  that  in  fome  fhape  or  other  the 
Cluniac's  verfes  have  become,  as  it  were,  naturalized  among  us. 
This  led  me  to  think  that  a  fuller  extract  from  the  Latin,  and  a 
further  tranflation  into  Englifh,  might  not  be  unacceptable  to  the 
lovers  of  facred  poetry." 

"  It  would  be  moft  unthankful  did  I  not  exprefs  my  gratitude 
to  God  for  the  favor  He  has  given  fome  of  the  centos  made  from 
the  poem,  but  efpecially  Jerujalem  the  Golden.  It  has  found  a 
place  in  fome  twenty  hymnals  j  and  for  the  laft  two  years  it  has 
hardly  been  poflible  to  read  any  newfpaper,  which  gives  promi- 
nence to  ecclefiaftical  news,  without  feeing  its  employment 
chronicled  at  fome  dedication  or  other  feftival.  It  is  alfo  a  great 
favorite  with  diflenters,  and  has  obtained  admifiion  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  fervices.  *  And  I  fay  this,'  to  quote  Bernard's  own 
preface,  *  in  no  wife  arrogantly,  but  with  all  humility,  and  there- 
fore boldly.' 

"  But  more  thankful  ftill  am  I  that  the  Cluniac's  verfes  mould 
have  foothed  the  dying  hours  of  many  of  God's  fervants,  the 
moft  ftriking  inftance,  of  which  I  know,  is  related  in  the 
memoir  publifhed  by  Mr.  Brownlow,  under  the  title,  A  Little 
Child  pall  lead  them  ;  where  he  fays  that  the  child  of  whom 
he  writes,  when  fuftering  agonies  which  the  medical  attendants 
declared  to  be  almoft  unparalleled,  would  lie  without  a  murmur 
or  motion,  while  the  whole  four  hundred  lines  were  read. 


38 


The  Celeftial  Country. 


"  I  have  no  hefitation  in  faying  that  I  look  on  thefe  verfes  of 
Bernard  as  the  moft  lovely,  in  the  fame  way  that  the  Dies  Ira 
is  the  moft  fublime,  and  the  Stabat  Mater  the  moft  pathetic  of 
mediaeval  poems.  They  are  even  fuperior  to  that  glorious  hymn 
on  the  fame  fubjeft,  the  De  Gloria  et  Gaudiis  Paradifi  of  St. 
Peter  Damiani.  For  the  fake  of  comparifon,  I  quote  fome  of 
the  moft  ftriking  ftanzas  of  the  latter,  availing  myfelf  of  the 
admirable  tranflation  of  Mr.  Wackerbarth  [Med.  Hymns,  ad 
Edition,  London) : 

THE   GLORY  AND  JOYS   OF   PARADISE. 

There  nor  waxing  moon,  nor  waning 

Sun  nor  ftars  in  courfes  bright  j 
For  the  Lamb  to  that  glad  city 

Shines  an  everlafting  light : 
There  the  daylight  beams  for  ever, 

All  unknown  are  time  and  night. 

For  the  Saints,  in  beauty  beaming, 

Shine  in  light  and  glory  pure ; 
Crowned  in  triumph's  flufhing  honors, 

Joy  in  unifon  fecure ; 
And  in  fafety  tell  their  battles, 

And  their  foes'  difcomfiture. 

Freed  from  every  ftain  of  evil, 

All  their  carnal  wars  are  done  j 
For  the  flefh  made  fpiritual 

And  the  foul  agree  in  one  j 
Peace  unbroken  fpreads  enjoyment, 

Sin  and  fcandal  are  unknown. 


^he  Celejiial  Country.  39 

Here  they  live  in  endlefs  being ; 

Paffingnefs  hath  paffed  away  j 
Here  they  bloom,  they  thrive,  they  flourifh, 

For  decayed  is  all  decay : 
Lafting  energy  hath  fwallowed 

Darkling  death's  malignant  fway. 

Though  each  one's  refpe&ive  merit 

Hath  its  varying  palm  afligned, 
Love  takes  all  as  his  pofleflion, 

Where  his  power  hath  all  combined  j 
So  that  all  that  each  poffefles 

All  partake  in  unconfined. 

Christ,  Thy  foldiers'  palm  of  honor, 

Unto  this  Thy  city  free 
Lead  me  when  my  warfare's  girdle 

I  fhall  cart  away  from  me — 
A  partaker  in  Thy  bounty 

With  Thy  bleffed  ones  to  be. 

Grant  me  vigor,  while  I  labor 

In  the  ceafelefs  battle  preffed, 
That  Thou  mayft,  the  conflict  over, 

Grant  me  everlafting  reft  j 
And  I  may  at  length  inherit 

Thee,  my  portion  ever  bleft." 

**  Archdeacon  Trench  fays  very  well,  after  referring  to  the 
Ode  of  Cafimir  (the  great  Latin  poet  of  Poland),  Urit  me 
Patriae  decor,  that  both  '  turn  upon  the  fame  theme,  the  heav- 
enly home-ficknefs ;   but  with  all  the  claflical  beauty  of  the  Ode, 


4<3  The  Celefiial  Country, 

and  it  is  great,  who  does  not  feel  that  the  poor  Cluniac  monk's 
is  the  more  real  and  deep  utterance  ?' 

"  The  Ode,  however,  is  well  worthy  of  a  tranflation,  and  here 
is  an  attempt : 

IT   KINDLES   ALL  MY  SOUL. 

It  kindles  all  my  foul, 
My  Country's  lovelinefs  !     Thofe  ftarry  choirs 

That  watch  around  the  pole, 
And  the  moon's  tender  light,  and  heavenly  fires 

Through  golden  halls  that  roll. 
O  chorus  of  the  night !      O  planets,  fworn 

The  mufic  of  the  fpheres 
To  follow  !     Lovely  watchers,  that  think  fcorn 

To  reft  till  day  appears  ! 
Me,  for  celeftial  homes  of  glory  born, 

Why  here,  oh  why  fo  long, 
Do  ye  behold  an  exile  from  on  high  ? 

Here,  O  ye  mining  throng, 
With  lilies  fpread  the  mound  where  I  fhall  lie  : 

Here  let  me  drop  my  chain, 
And  duft  to  duft  returning,  caft  away 

The  trammels  that  remain  j 
The  reft  of  me  fliall  fpring  to  endlefs  day !" 

4  Thefe  two  lines  are  taken  from  the  laft  London  edition. 
In  fome  editions  they  are  thus  given  : 

"  And  the  perfect  from  the  fluttered, 

And  the  fallen  from  them  that  ftand." 

5  "  Leah  and  Rachel  are  allegorized  in  three  different  ways  by 
mediaeval  poets.     Firft,  of  the  a&ive  and  contemplative  life  j  and 


The  Celeftial  Country.  41 

thence  alfo,  by  an  eafy  tranfition,  to  the  toil  we  endure  on  earth, 
and  the  eternal  contemplation  of  God's  glory  in  Heaven  as  here. 
So  again,  in  a  fine  but  rugged  profe  in  the  Nuremberg  Miflal 
for  St.  Jerome's  Day  : 

Then,  when  all  carnal  ftrife  hath  ceafed, 
And  we  from  warfare  are  releafed, 
O  grant  us  in  that  Heavenly  Feaft 

To  fee  Thee  as  Thou  art : 
To  Leah  give,  the  battle  won, 

Her  Rachel's  dearer  heart ; 
To  Martha,  when  the  ftrife  is  done, 

Her  Mary's  better  part. 

"The  parallel  fymbol  of  Martha  and  Mary  is,  however,  in 
this  fenfe  far  more  common,  and  is  even  found  in  epitaphs,  as 
in  that  of  Gundreda  de  Warren,  daughter  of  William  the  Con- 
queror : 

A  Martha  to  the  houfelefs  poor,  a  Mary  in  her  love  j 

And  though  her  Martha's  part  be  gone,  her  Mary's  lives  above. 

u  Bernard,  in  the  paflage  we  are  confidering,  has  a  double  pro- 
priety in  the  changes  of  which  he  fpeaks.  Ifrael,  according  to 
St.  Auguftine's  rendering,  means,  He  that  beholds  God;  Rachel, 
according  to  the  unwarrantable  mediaeval  explanation,  That  be- 
holds the  Beginning,  i.  c,  Christ.  Thus,  the  change  fpoken  of 
is  from  earth  to  the  Beatific  Virion ;  and  has  a  reference  alfo  to 
the  New  Name  and  White  Stone  of  the  Apocalypfe. 

"  The  fecond  allegory  of  Leah  and  Rachel  expounds  them  of 
the  Synagogue  and  the  Church ;  the  third  makes  them  to  repre- 
fent  earthly  affliction  patiently  endured  " — Mediaeval  Hymns. 
ad  Edition. 


42  The  Celeftial  Country. 

6  "It  is  not  without  a  deep  myftical  meaning  that  thefe 
ftones  are  feledted  by  the  poet. 

"The  twelve  foundation  ftones  of  the  Apocalypfe  gave  rife, 
as  might  be  expected,  to  an  infinite  variety  of  myftical  interpre- 
tations. 'Jafper,'  fays  the  comment  of  Marbodus,  'is  the  firft 
foundation  of  the  Church  of  God,  and  is  of  a  green  color.'  '  It 
fignifies  thofe  who  always  hold  the  Faith  of  God  and  never  depart 
from  it,  or  wither,  but  are  always  flourilhing  therein,  and  fear 
not  the  affaults  of  the  devil.'  'The  emerald  is  exceeding  green, 
furpafiing  all  gems  and  herbs  in  greennefs.'  « By  the  emerald  we 
underftand  thofe  who  excel  others  in  the  vigor  of  their  faith,  and 
dwell  among  infidels  who  be  frigid  and  arid  in  their  love.'  l  The 
fardius,  which  is  wholly  red,  fignifies  the  martyrs  who  pour  forth 
their  blood  for  Christ.*  *  The  topaz  is  rare,  and  therefore  pre- 
cious. It  has  two  colors,  one  like  gold,  the  other  clearer.  In 
clearnefs  it  furpaftes  all  gems,  and  nothing  is  more  beautiful.  It 
fignifies  thofe  who  love  God  and  their  neighbor, '  '  The  amethyft 
is  entirely  red,  and  fhoots  out  rofy  flames.  Its  color  fignifies 
earthly  fuffering;  its  emiffions,  prayers  for  thofe  that  caufe  it."* 
— Mcdia-val  Hymns.     2d  Edition. 

7  Thefe  ftanzas  are  evidently  confidered  by  Dr.  Neale  his  beft. 
See  page  37.  In  deference  to  that  opinion,  they  are  given  here  in 
the  form  in  which  they  appear  in  the  laft  edition  of  Mediaval 
Hymns. 

8  "Decachord,  with  reference  to  the  myftical  explanation,  which, 
feeing  in  the  number  ten  a  type  of  perfection,  underftands  the 
4  inftrument  of  ten  firings '  of  the  perfect  harmony  of  heaven." 

9  "  I  have  been  fo  often  afked  to  what  tune  the  words  of  Ber- 
nard may  be  fung,  that  I  may  here  mention  that  of  Mr.  Ewing, 
the  earlieft  written,  the  beft  known,  and  with  children  the  moft 


The  Celefiial  Country.  43 

popular  j  that  of  my  friend,  the  Rev.  H.  L.  Jenner,  perhaps  the 
moft  ecclefiaftical  $  and  that  of  another  friend,  Mr.  Edmund 
Sedding,  which,  to  my  mind,  beft  expreffes  the  meaning  of  the 
words." — Mediaeval  Hymns,     ad  Edition. 

10  No  copy  of  De  Contemptu  Mundi  is  known  to  be  in  the 
United  States,  and  hence  the  extract  given  is  only  the  cento  from 
Trench's  Sacred  Latin  Poetry,  preceded  by  the  firft  fix  lines  of 
the  poem.  It  is  the  part  firft  tranflated  by  Dr.  Neale,  beginning 
at  the  line,  "  Brief  life  is  here  our  portion." 

NOTE,  that  in  this  edition  of  The  Celeftial  Country  thefe 
changes  have  been  made  : 

ift.  The  poem  has  been  divided  into  irregular  ftanzas.  This 
change  of  form  is  partly  for  the  convenience  of  thofe  who  love 
to  refer  and  re-refer  to  favorite  pafTages ;  partly  to  enable  chil- 
dren readily  to  feledr.  from  it  ftanzas  to  be  learned  or  fung  5  but 
chiefly  to  render  its  intermingling  fentences  more  clear  to  thofe 
who  have  not  become  familiar  with  its  conftru&ion. 

2d.  The  punftuation  has  been  materially  remodelled  and 
changed. 

3d.  The  author's  text  has  been  altered  in  three  inftances,  where- 
in the  errors  corrected  feem  manifeftly  flips  of  the  pen  or  blunders 
of  the  compofitor,  viz.,  in  the  ninth  ftanza,line  fourteen,  "thofe" 
is  fubftituted  for  "  them  5"  in  the  twenty-fecond  ftanza,  line  two, 
"Thy"  is  fubftituted  for  "His,"  and  in  the  forty-firft  ftanza,  line 
nine,  "But"  is  fubftituted  for  "And." 
4 


44  The  Dies  Ira. 


THE    DIES    IRiE 


A  FRANCISCAN  monk  named  Thomas, 
born  near  the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth 
century,  at  Celano,a  Neapolitan  village,  achieved 
fome  reputation  in  his  time  as  the  friend  and 
biographer  of  St.  Francis  de  Affifi,  founder  of 
the  Order  of  Minorites.  About  the  year  1 250,  as 
is  fuppofed,  he  wrote  a  brief  lyric,  which,  reach- 
ing above  and  beyond  his  creed  and  time,  has 
entered  in  fome  form  into  the  worfhip  of  every 
Chriftian  people.  In  the  Romiih  Burial  Ser- 
vice it  forms  the  Sequence  for  the  Dead,  and  is 
fung  with  folemn  majefty  at  the  great  Sixtine 
Chapel,  while  portions  of  it  enter  into  the  praife 
or  meditations  of  nearly  "all  who  profefs  and 
call  themfelves  Chriftians."  So  that,  becoming 
more  highly  efteemed,  and  more  generally  known 
with  each  century  of  its  long  hiftory,  it  is  at  the 
prefent  time  both  fung  at  Rome  and  approved 
by  all  Proteftant  Chriftendom. 


The  Dies  Ira.  45 

A  long  lift  might  be  framed  of  the  great  who 
have  avowed  for  it  a  fupreme  admiration,  ex- 
celling that  yielded  to  any  other  compofition  of 
its  kind.  And  fuch  a  roll  would  contain  the 
names  of  men  of  different  countries  as  of  dif- 
ferent creeds ;  of  foldiers,  ftatefmen  and  poets  ; 
of  hiftorians,  Churchmen,  and  compofers,  upon 
whofe  lips  it  has  hovered,  and  in  whofe  works 
it  has  been  engraved.  Mozart,  Haydn,  Goethe, 
Schlegel,  Johnfon,  Dryden,  Scott,  Milman,  and 
Jeremy  Taylor  would  be  among  thefe  names. 

This  lyric,  which  is  the  greateft  of  hymns, 
neverthelefs  is  caft  in  the  fimpleft  of  forms. 
Beginning  with  an  exclamation  from  the  Scrip- 
tures, it  continues  through  its  few  ftanzas  the 
addrefs  of  a  fingle  actor  upon  a  fingle  fubjecl:. 
Its  meafure  could  not  be  more  artlefs,  nor  its 
ftanzas  more  fimple.  The  auguft  language  in 
which  it  is  clothed,  it  has  bent  into  the  form  of 
rhyme,  and  this  rhyme  is  of  a  kind  which  is 
faid  to  be  wanting  in  dignity,  and  better  adapt- 
ed to  comic  than  to  elevated  verfe.  Yet  it 
commands  the  homage  of  the  Englifhman,  the 
German,  the  Italian,  and  the  modern  Greek; 


46  cDx  Dies  Ira. 

and  even  poffeffes  (o  ftrange  a  gift  of  fafcination, 
a  gift  in  which  no  other  compofition  equals  and 
but  one  other  approaches  it,  that  the  very  found 
of  its  words  will  allure  him  who  is  ignorant  of 
their  meaning. 

This  marvellous  power  cannot  be  meafured 
and  defined,  yet  a  diftinguifhed  American  cler- 
gyman has  thus  clofely  analyzed  it  :  "  Com- 
"  bining  fomewhat  of  the  rhythm  of  claflical 
"  Latin,  with  the  rhymes  of  the  mediaeval  Latin, 
cc  treating  of  a  theme  full  of  awful  fublimity,  and 
"  grouping  together  the  moft  ftartling  imagery  of 
u  Scripture  as  to  the  laft  Judgment,  and  throwing 
"  this  into  yet  ftronger  relief  by  the  barbaric  fim- 
"  plicity  of  the  ftyle  in  which  it  is  fet,  and  adding 
"  to  all  thefe  its  full  and  trumpet-like  cadences, 
"  and  uniting  with  the  impaflioned  feelings  of  the 
"  South,  whence  it  emanated,  the  gravity  of  the 
"  North,  whofe  feverer  ftyle  it  adopted." — Dr. 
W.  R.  Williams. 

The  Great  Hymn  has  ever  allured  and  eluded 
translators.  Its  apparent  artleflhefs  and  fim- 
plicity  indicate  that  it  can  be  turned  readily  into 
another  language,  but  its  fecret  power  refufes  to 


1'be  Dies  Ira.  47 

be  thus  transferred.  A  German  theologian 
(Lifco,  Berlin,  1843)  nas  colle&ed  ana<  PUD~ 
liftied  eighty-feven  verfions,  nearly  all  of  which 
are  in  the  German.  In  our  Englifh  tongue  the 
tafk  of  rendering  the  Latin  into  verfe  of  the 
fame  meafure  is  more  difficult,  and  fome  of  our 
tranflators  have  fought  to  reproduce  the  form, 
and  others  to  preferve  the  power  of  the  original. 
The  reader  of  Scott  will  remember  with  what 
ftrength  a  few  ftanzas  burft  on  us  in  the  firft 
reading  of  "  The  Lay."  In  form  and  meaning 
they  hardly  claim  the  name  of  a  tranflation,  yet 
they  have  caught  the  fpirit  of  the  hymn  with  a 
vividnefs  that  nothing  in  our  language  equals. 

The  mafs  was  fung,  and  prayers  were  faid, 
And  folemn  requiem  for  the  dead ; 
And  bells  toll'd  out  their  mighty  peal, 
For  the  departed  fpirit's  weal ; 
And  ever  in  the  office  clofe 
The  hymn  of  interceffion  rofe ; 
And  far  the  echoing  aifles  prolong 
The  awful  burden  of  the  fong — 
Dies  Irje,  Dies  Illa  ! 

SOLVET   S-ffiCLUM    IN    FAVILLA  ; 


48  The  Dies  Ira. 

While  the  pealing  organ  rung  ; 
Were  it  meet  with  facred  ftrain 
To  clofe  my  lay  fo  light  and  vain, 

Thus  the  holy  Fathers  fung  : 


That  day  of  wrath,  that  dreadful  day  ! 
When  heaven  and  earth  fhall  pafs  away, 
What  power  (hall  be  the  finner's  ftay  ? 
How  fhall  he  meet  that  dreadful  day  ? 


When  fhrivelling  like  a  parched  fcroll 
The  flaming  heavens  together  roll ; 
When  louder  yet,  and  yet  more  dread, 
Swells  the  high  trump  that  wakes  the  dead  ! 


Oh  !  on  that  day,  that  wrathful  day 
When  man  to  judgment  wakes  from  clay, 
Be  Thou  the  trembling  finner's  ftay, 
Though  heaven  and  earth  fhall  pafs  away  ! 


^he  Dies  Ira.  49 

I. 

The  eftablifhed  verfion  of  the  hymn  is 
known  as  that  of  Paris.  It  differs  in  but  one 
line  from  that  of  Rome,  which  has  for  the  third 
line  of  the  firft  ftanza,  Cruets  expandens  vexilla. 

There  have  been  ftanzas  prefixed  to  the  hymn 
and  others  added ;  but,  in  its  great  ftrength,  it 
has  fhaken  off  all  fuch  fpurious  additions.  A 
marble  flab  in  the  Church  of  St.  Francis,  at 
Mantua,  bore  a  copy  of  the  hymn  prefaced 
by  five  ftanzas,  which  many  fcholars  have 
thought,  from  the  great  age  of  the  church, 
authentic.  But  the  church  is  a  century  younger 
than  the  hymn,  and  thefe  ftanzas  condemn 
themfelves : 

Dies  ilia,  dies  irae 

Quam  conemur  praevenire, 

Obveamque  Deo  irae. 

The  inverfion  of  the  Scriptural  text,  the 
poverty  of  the  rhyme,  and  the  weaknefs  of  the 
thought,  are  not  faults  of  the  Dies  Ir^e.  Its 
author  undoubtedly  took  the  quotation  from 
Zephaniah  as  a  text,  and  placed  it  at  the  head 


50  The  Dies  Ira. 

of  his  compofition ;  and  the  inverfion,  "Dies  illay 
dies  ira"  is  the  play  upon  words  to  which  an 
imitator  alone  would  refort. 


II. 


The  author  of  the  firft  tranflation  given  in 
this  volume,  in  a  preface  to  his  work,  fays : 

"  A  production  univerfally  acknowledged  to 
"  have  no  fuperior  of  its  class  mould  be  as  lit- 
M  erally  rendered  as  the  ftru&ure  of  the  lan- 
"  guage  into  which  it  is  tranflated  will  admit. 
"  Moreover,  no  tranflation  can  be  complete 
"  which  does  not  conform  to  the  original  in  its 
"  rhythmic  quantities.  The  mufic  of  the  Dies 
"  \&m  is  as  old  as  the  hymn,  if  not  older ;  and 
"  with  thofe  who  are  familiar  with  both,  they 
"are  infeparably  connected  in  thought.  To 
"  fatisfy  the  exactions  of  fuch  minds,  the  ca- 
"  dences  muft  be  the  fame." 

In  this  endeavor  the  author  has  fo  well  fuc- 
ceeded,  that  when  this  verfion  is  compared 
ftanza  by  ftanza  with  the  original,  it  will  be 
found  to  be  in  the  fame  trochaic  meafure,  in  the 


The  Dies  Ira.  51 

fame  difficult  double  rhyme,  in  ftanzas  of  the 
fame  triplicate  conftru&ion,  and,  with  feweft 
errors,  to  be  as  a  tranflation  the  moft  literal  and 
juft  that  has  been  made.  Yet  this  fuccefs  in 
letters  was  achieved  by  a  foldier,  during  the 
gloomieft  period  of  a  great  and  diftracling  war. 
The  author  is  Major-General  John  A.  Dix, 
U.  S.  V.,  and  the  tranflation  was  made  at 
Fortrefs  Monroe,  in  the  fecond  year  of  the 
Rebellion. 


III. 


The  intenfe  power  of  the  Great  Hymn  is 
alfo  exemplified  in  the  different  renderings  which 
have  been  made  by  the  fame  author.  Dr.  Abra- 
ham Coles,  an  American  phyfician,  has  per- 
formed indeed  the  remarkable  tafk  of  making 
thirteen  different  verfions ;  fix  of  which  are  in 
the  trochaic  meafure  and  double  rhyme  of  the 
hymn,  and  all  are  fufficiently  diftincl:  and  origi- 
nal to  form  the  creditable  work  of  thirteen 
different  men.  This  verfion  is  the  firft  of  Dr. 
Coles. 


52  Tie  Dies  Ira. 

IV. 

The  next  verfion  is  that  of  the  Rev.  Franklin 
Johnfon,  fpoken  of  in  the  introduction  and  now 
fubftituted  in  the  place  of  one  of  Dr.  Coles'. 

V. 

This  verfion  is  by  that  nobleman  of  whom 
Pope  has  written : 

"  Such  was  Rofcommon,  not  more  learned  than  good, 
Of  manners  generous  as  his  noble  blood  : 
To  him  the  wit  of  Greece  and  Rome  was  known, 
And  every  author's  merit  but  his  own." 

And  of  whom  Dryden  has  confefTed  : 

"  It  was  my  Lord  Rofcommon's  efTay  on 
"  tranflated  verfe  which  made  me  uneafy  till  I 
"  tried  whether  or  no  I  was  capable  of  follow- 
"  ing  his  rules,  and  of  reducing  the  fpeculation 
M  into  practice." 

And  of  whom  Johnfon  has  recorded  : 

"  At  the  moment  in  which  he  expired,  he 
M  uttered,  with  an  energy  of  voice  that  exprefled 


tfhe  Dies  Ira.  53 

"  the  moft  fervent  devotion,  two  lines  of  his 
"  own  verfion  of  Dies  Irje  : 

'  My  God,  my  Father,  and  my  Friend, 
Do  not  forfake  me  in  my  end.'  *' 

In  the  beautiful  fervor  of  its  devotion,  Rof- 
common's  excels  all  other  tranflations,  but  its 
verfe  is  not  that  of  the  Dies  Irje. 


VI. 

Craftiaw,  the  contemporary  of  Herbert,  and 
friend  of  Cowley,  is  the  author  of  this  verfion. 
It  is  the  oldeft  in  our  language  (1646),  though 
there  is  a  weak  paraphrafe  by  Drummond  of 
Hawthornden,  beginning : 

Ah,  filly  foul  !  what  wilt  thou  fay 
When  He,  whom  heaven  and  earth  obey, 
Comes  man  to  judge  in  the  laft  day  ! 

No  tranflation  furpaffes  Crafhaw's  in  ftrength, 
but  the  form  of  his  ftanza  and  the  meafure  of 
his  verfe  are  leaft  like  thofe  of  the  original. 


54  ^ke  Dies  Ira. 

VII. 

The  verfion  of  Dr.  W.  J.  Irons  may  be  re- 
garded as  the  accepted  verfion  of  the  prefent 
day  in  Great  Britain,  and  is  the  one  fele&ed  by 
the  Hymnal  Noted.  It  is  in  the  double  rhyme 
and  meafure  of  the  original,  and  parts  of  it  bear 
a  ftriking  refemblance  to  the  American  verfion 
of  General  Dix.  But  a  much  more  curious 
coincidence  in  conception,  with  an  abfolute  iden- 
tity of  language  in  many  parts,  exifts  in  the  un- 
publifhed  verfion  of  an  accomplifhed  tranflator 
(Mr.  A.  Peries,  of  Philadelphia),  wherein  feveral 
ftanzas  differ  but  little  from  thofe  of  General 
Dix.      The  eleventh  ftands  as  follows  : 

"  Righteous  Judge  of  retribution, 
Grant  us  finners  abfolution. 
Ere  the  day  of  diflblution  !'* 


VIII. 

It  is  a  notable  fadr.  in  the  hiftory  of  the 
Dies  Irje,  that  the  beft  Englifh  tranflations 
which    we    poffefs   are   not   the   work   of  our 


The  Dies  Ira.  55 

great  poets.  A  recent  verfion,  which  fo  capable 
and  accomplished  a  critic  as  Mr.  Prime  pro- 
nounces to  be  M  in  many  refpe&s  the  beft  Eng- 
lifh  verfion  hitherto  produced,  and  peculiarly 
valuable  for  thofe  who  do  not  read  the  Latin, 
and  who  defire  to  gain  fome  idea  of  the  power 
and  beauty  of  this  moft  celebrated  hymn  of  the 
Church,"  alio  illuftrates  this  remarkable  facl:. 
The  author  is  Edward  SlofTon,  Efq.,  of  the  bar 
of  New  York. 

And  in  this  connection  it  may  be  obferved, 
that  even  fo  accomplifhed  a  mafter  in  profe  and 
verfe  as  Macaulay  has  fucceeded  no  better  in 
the  difficult  tafk  than  is  mown  by  his  verfion 
written  for  the  London  Chrijiian  Obferver  in 
1826,  beginning — 

"  On  that  great,  that  awful  day, 
This  vain  world  fliall  pafs  away. 
Thus  the  Sibyl  fang  of  old  j 
Thus  hath  holy  David  told. 
There  fliall  be  a  deadly  fear 
When  the  Avenger  fliall  appear; 
And,  unveiled  before  his  eye, 
All  the  works  of  men  fliall  lie." 


56  The  Dies  Ira, 


I. 

THOMAS    DE    CELANO. 

Dies  ir^:,  dies  illa,  dies  tribulationis  et  anguftiae,  dies  calam% 
itatis  et  miferiae,  dies  tenebrarum  et  caliginis,  dies  nebulae  et 
turbinis,  dies  tubae  et  clangoris  fuper  civitatis  munitas,  et  fuper 
angulos  excelfos! — Sophonia,  i.  15,  1 6. 


DIES    IR-ffi,    DIES    ILLA  ! 
Solvet  faeclum  in  favilla, 
Tefte  David  cum  Sybilla. 

11. 

Quantus  tremor  eft  futurus, 
Quando  Judex  eft  venturus, 
Cun&a  ftri&e  difcuflurus. 

in. 

Tuba  mirum  fpargens  fonum 
Per  fepulcra  regionum, 
Coget  omnes  ante  thronum. 


The  Dies  Ira,  57 


II. 


GENERAL    DIX. 

That  day,  a  day  of  wrath,  a  day  of  trouble  and  difirejs,  a 
day  of  ivafienefs  and  defolation,  a  day  of  darknefs  and  gloominefs, 
a  day  of  clouds  and  thick  darknefs,  a  day  of  the  trumpet  and  alarm 
againjl   the  fenced  cities,  and  againji  the  high  towers ! — Zeph- 

ANIAH,  i.   I5,   1 6, 


DAY  of  vengeance,  without  morrow  ! 
Earth  mall  end  in  flame  and  forrow, 
As  from  Saint  and  Seer  we  borrow. 

2. 

Ah  !  what  terror  is  impending, 
When  the  Judge  is  feen  defcending, 
And  each  fecret  veil  is  rending. 

3- 
To  the  throne,  the  trumpet  founding, 
Through  the  fepulchres  refounding, 
Summons  all,  with  voice  aftounding. 


58  The  Dies  Ira. 


IV. 


Mors  ftupebit,  et  natura, 
Quum  refurget  creatura, 
Judicanti   refponfura. 


v. 


Liber  fcriptus  proferetur, 
In  quo  totum  continetur, 
Unde  mundus  judicetur. 


VI. 


Judex  ergo  cum  fedebit, 
Quidquid  latet,   apparebit 
Nil  inultum  remanebit. 


VII. 


Quid   fum,  mifer  !    tunc  difturus, 
Quern  patronum  rogaturus, 
Quum  vix  juftus  fit  fecurus  ? 


The  Dies  Ira.  59 


Death  and  Nature,  mazed,  are  quaking, 
When,  the  grave's  long  (lumber  breaking, 
Man  to  judgment  is  awaking. 


On  the  written  Volume's  pages, 
Life  is  fhown  in  all  its  ftages — 
Judgment-record  of  paft  ages  ! 


Sits  the  Judge,  the  raifed  arraigning, 
Darkeft  myfteries  explaining, 
Nothing  unavenged  remaining. 


What  mall  I  then  fay,  unfriended, 

By  no  advocate  attended, 

When  the  juft  are  fcarce  defended  ? 


Oo  The  Dies  Ira. 


VIII. 


Rex  tremendae  majeftatis, 
Qui  falvandos  falvas  gratis, 
Salva  me,  fons  pietatis  ! 


IX. 


Recordare,  Jefu  pie, 
Quod  fum  caufa  tuae  viae  ; 
Ne  me  perdas  ilia  die  I 


Quaerens  me,  fedifti  laffus, 
Redemifti,  crucem  paffus  : 
Tantus  labor  non  fit  caffiis. 


XI. 

Jufte  Judex  ultionis, 
Donum  fac  remiflionis 
Ante  diem  rationis. 


The  Dies  Ira.  61 

8. 


King  of  majefty  tremendous, 
By  Thy  faving  grace  defend  us, 
Fount  of  pity,  fafety  fend  us ! 


Holy  Jesus,  meek,  forbearing, 

For  my  fins  the  death-crown  wearing, 

Save  me,  in  that  day,  defpairing. 


10. 

Worn  and  weary,  Thou  haft  fought  me  ; 
By  Thy  crofs  and  paifion  bought  me — 
Spare  the  hope  Thy  labors  brought  me. 


ii. 

Righteous  Judge  of  retribution, 
Give,  O  give  me  abfolution 
Ere  the  day  of  diflblution. 

5 


62  The  Dies  Ira. 


XII. 


Ingemifco  tanquam  reus, 
Culpa  rubet  vultus  meus  j 
Supplicant!  parce,  Deus  ! 


XIII. 


Qui  Mariam  abfolvifti, 
Et  latronem  exaudifti, 
Mihi  quoque  fpem  dedifti. 


XIV. 


Preces  meae  non  funt  dignae, 
Sed  Tu  bonus  fac  benigne 
Ne  perenni  cremer  igne  ! 


xv. 


Inter  oves  locum  praefta, 
Et  ab  haedis  me  fequeftra, 
Statuens  in  parte  dextra. 


Tbe  Dies  Ira.  63 


12. 


As  a  guilty  culprit  groaning, 
Flufhed  my  face,  my  errors  owning, 
Hear,  O  God,  my  fpirit's  moaning ! 

I3- 

Thou  to  Mary  gav'ft  remiffion, 
Heard'ft  the  dying  thief's  petition, 
Bad'ft  me  hope  in  my  contrition. 

14. 

In  my  prayers  no  grace  difcerning, 
Yet  on  me  Thy  favor  turning, 
Save  my  foul  from  endlefs  burning. 

15. 

Give  me,  when  Thy  flieep  confiding 
Thou  art  from  the  goats  dividing, 
On  Thy  right  a  place  abiding  ! 


64  The  Dies  Ira. 


XVI. 


Confutatis  maledi&is, 
Flammis  acribus  addi&is, 
Voca  me  cum  benedi&is  J 


XVII. 


Oro  fupplex  et  acclinis, 
Cor  contritum  quafi  cinis3 
Gere  curam  mei  finis. 


XVIII. 


Lacrymofa  dies  ilia  ! 
Qua  refurget  ex  favilla. 
Judicandus  homo  reus  ; 
Huic  ergo  parce,  Deus  I 


The  Dm  Ira.  65 

16. 

When  the  wicked  are  confounded, 
And  by  bitter  flames  furrounded, 
Be  my  joyful  pardon  founded  ! 


*7- 

Proftrate,  all  my  guilt  difcerning, 
Heart  as  though  to  aihes  turning ; 
Save,  O  fave  me  from  the  burning  f 


18. 

Day  of  weeping,  when  from  afhes 
Man  mail  rife  mid  lightning  flames, 
Guilty,  trembling  with  contrition, 
Save  him,  Father,  from  perdition ! 


66  tie  Dm  Ira. 


III. 


DR.    COLES. 


rXAY  of  wrath,  that  day  of  burning, 
-*-^   Seer  and  fibyl  fpeak  concerning, 
All  the  world  to  afhes  turning. 

2. 

Oh,  what  fear  fhall  it  engender, 
When  the  Judge  fhall  come  in  fplendor, 
Strict  to  mark  and  juft  to  render. 

3- 

Trumpet  fcattering  founds  of  wonder, 
Rending  fepulchres  afunder, 
Shall  refiftlefs  fummons  thunder. 


"the  Dies  Ira.  67 


DR.   JOHNSON. 


TTV  AY  of  wrath,  that  day  of  burning ! 
■*-^  Earth  fhall  end,  to  afhes  turning : 
Thus  fing  Saint  and  Seer  difcerning. 


Ah,  the  dread  beyond  expreflion 
When  the  Judge  in  awful  feffion 
Searcheth  out  the  world's  tranfgreflion ! 

3- 

Then  is  heard  a  found  of  wonder : 
Mighty  blafts  of  trumpet-thunder 
Rend  the  fepulchers  afunder. 


68  The  Dies  Ira. 


All  aghaft  then  Death  fhall  fhiver, 
And  great  Nature's  frame  fhall  quiver, 
When  the  graves  their  dead  deliver. 

5- 

Book  where  a&ions  are  recorded, 

All  the  ages  have  afforded 

Shall  be  brought,  and  dooms  awarded. 

6. 

When  fhall  fit  the  Judge  unerring, 
He'll  unfold  all  here  occurring, 
No  juft  vengeance  then  deferring. 


What  fhall  I  fay,  that  time  pending  ? 
Afk  what  advocate's  befriending, 
When  the  juft  man  needs  defending  ? 


The  Dies  Ira.  69 

4. 

What  can  e'er  that  woe  refemble 
Where  even  Death  and  Nature  tremble 
As  the  rifing  throngs  aflemble ! 


Vain,  my  foul,  is  all  concealing ; 
For  the  Book  is  brought,  revealing 
Every  deed  and  thought  and  feeling. 


On  His  throne  the  Judge  is  feated, 
And  our  fins  are  loud  repeated, 
And  to  each  is  vengeance  meted. 


Wretched  me  !     How  gain  a  hearing, 
Where  the  righteous  falter,  fearing, 
At  the  pomp  of  His  appearing  ? 


7°  <Jbe  Dies  Ira. 

8. 

Dreadful  King,  all  power  poffefling, 

Saving  freely  thofe  confeffing, 

Save  Thou  me,  O  Fount  of  Bleffing ! 


Think,  O  Jesus,  for  what  reafon 
Thou  didft  bear  earth's  fpite  and  treafon, 
Nor  me  lofe  in  that  dread  feafon  ! 


10. 

Seeking  me  Thy  worn  feet  halted, 
On  the  crofs  Thy  foul  death  tailed 
Let  fuch  travail  not  be  wafted  ! 


ii. 

Righteous  Judge  of  retribution  ! 
Make  me  gift  of  abfolution 
Ere  that  day  of  execution  ! 


"The  Dies  Ira.  71 

8. 


King  of  majefty  and  fplendor, 
Fount  of  pity,  true  and  tender, 
Be,  Thyfelf,  my  ftrong  defender. 


From  Thy  woes  my  hope  I  borrow : 
I  did  caufe  Thy  way  of  forrow : 
Do  not  lofe  me  on  that  morrow. 


10. 

Seeking  me,  Thou  weary  sankeft, 

Nor  from  fcourge  and  crofs  Thou  flirankeft 

Make  not  vain  the  cup  Thou  drankeft. 


11. 

Thou  wert  righteous  even  in  flaying; 
Yet  forgive  my  guilty  ftraying, 
Now,  before  that  day  difmaying. 


72  <Hhe  Dies  Ira. 


12. 


Culprit-like  I  plead,  heart-broken, 
On  my  cheek  fhame's  crimfon  token 
Let  the  pardoning  word  be  fpoken  ! 


*3- 

Thou  who  Mary  gav'ft  remiffion, 
Heard'ft  the  dying  thief's  petition, 
Cheer'ft  with  hope  my  loft  condition, 


14. 

Though  my  prayers  be  void  of  merit1 
What  is  needful,  Thou  confer  it, 
Left  I  endlefs  fire  inherit ! 


15. 

Be  there,  Lord,  my  place  decided 
With  Thy  fheep,  from  goats  divided, 
Kindly  to  Thy  right  hand  guided  ! 


The  Dies  Ira.  73 

12. 

Though  my  fins  with  fharne  suffufe  me, 
Though  my  very  moans  accufe  me, 
Canft  Thou,  Loving  One,  refufe  me  ? 

J3- 

He  by  whom  the  Thief  was  fhriven 
And  the  Magdalen  forgiven 
Grants  to  me  the  hope  of  Heaven. 


Though  unworthy  my  petition, 
Grant  me  full  and  free  remiflion, 
And  redeem  me  from  perdition. 


15. 

Be  my  lot  in  love  decreed  me : 
From  the  goats  in  fafety  lead  me ; 
With  Thy  fheep  forever  feed  me. 


74  the  Dies  Ira. 

16. 

When  th'  accurfed  away  are  driven, 

To  eternal  burnings  given, 

Call  me  with  the  blefled  to  heaven ! 


I  befeech  Thee,  proftrate  lying, 
Heart  as  afhes,  contrite,  fighing, 
Care  for  me  when  I  am  dying ! 

18. 

Day  of  tears  and  late  repentance, 
Man  mail  rife  to  hear  his  fentence : 
Him,  the  child  of  guilt  and  error, 
Spare,  Lord,  in  that  hour  of  terror  ! 


The  Dies  Ira.  75 

16. 

When  Thy  foes  are  all  confounded, 
And  with  bitter  flames  furrounded, 
Call  me  to  Thy  blifs  unbounded. 

17- 

From  the  duft,  I  pray  Thee,  hear  me : 
When  my  end  fhall  come,  be  near  me ; 
Let  Thy  grace  fuftain  and  cheer  me. 

18. 

Ah,  that  day,  that  day  of  weeping, 
When,  no  more  in  ashes  sleeping, 
Man  shall  rise  and  stand  before  Thee  ! 
Spare  him,  spare  him,  I  implore  Thee. 


?6  Lbe  Dies  Ira. 


V. 


EARL    ROSCOMMON. 
I. 

>T^HE  day  of  wrath,  that  dreadful  day, 
-*■      Shall  the  whole  world  in  afties  lay, 
As  David  and  the  Sibyls  fay. 

2. 
What  horror  will  invade  the  mind 
When  the  ftricl:  Judge,  who  would  be  kind, 
Shall  have  few  venial  faults  to  find. 


3- 

The  laft  loud  trumpet's  wondrous  found 
Shall  through  the  rending  tombs  rebound, 
And  wake  the  nations  under  ground. 


Tf>e  Dies  Ira.  77 


VI. 


RICHARD    CRASHAW 


HEAR' ST  thou,  my  foul,  what  ferious  things 
Both  the  Pfalm  and  Sibyl  fings 
Of  a  fure  Judge,  from  whofe  fharp  ray 
The  world  in  flames  fhall  fly  away ! 

2. 

O  that  Fire  !  before  whofe  face 
Heaven  and  earth  fhall  find  no  place : 
O  thofe  Eyes  !  whofe  angry  light 
Muft  be  the  day  of  that  dread  night. 

3- 
O  that  Trump  !  whofe  blaft  (hall  run 
An  even  round  with  th'  circling  Sun, 
And  urge  the  murmuring  graves  to  bring 
Pale  mankind  forth  to  meet  his  King. 


78  The  Dies  Ira. 

4. 
Nature  and  death  fhall  with  furprife 
Behold  the  pale  offender  rife, 
And  view  the  Judge  with  confcious  eyes. 

5. 

Then  fhall,  with  univerfal  dread, 
The  facred,  myftic  book  be  read 
To  try  the  living  and  the  dead. 

6. 

The  Judge  afcends  His  awful  throne  5 
He  makes  each  fecret  fin  be  known, 
And  all  with  fhame  confefs  their  own. 


7- 
O  then,  what  intereft  fhall  I  make 
To  fave  my  laft  important  flake 
When  the  moft  juft  have  caufe  to  quake ! 


Tbe  Dies  Ira.  79 

4- 
Horror  of  Nature,  Hell,  and  Death ! 
When  a  deep  groan  from  beneath 
Shall  cry,  "  We  come,  we  come  !"  and  all 
The  caves  of  night  anfwer  one  call. 

5. 

O  that  book !  whofe  leaves  fo  bright 
Will  fet  the  world  in  fevere  light. 
O  that  Judge  !  whofe  hand,  whofe  eye 
None  can  endure,  yet  none  can  fly. 


Ah  then,  poor  foul !  what  wilt  thou  fay  ? 
And  to  what  patron  choofe  to  pray, 
When  ftars  themfelves  fhall  ftagger,  and 
The  moft  firm  foot  no  more  fhall  ftand  ? 

7- 
But  Thou  giv'ft  leave,  dread  Lord,  that  wc 
Take  fhelter  from  Thyfelf  in  Thee ; 
And  with  the  wings  of  Thine  own  dove 
Fly  to  Thy  fceptre  of  foft  love  ! 


80  <fbe  Dies  Ira. 

8. 
Thou  mighty,  formidable  King  ! 
Thou  mercy's  unexhaufted  fpring, 
Some  comfortable  pity  bring ! 


9- 

Forget  not  what  my  ranfom  coft ; 
Nor  let  my  dear-bought  foul  be  loft. 
In  ftorms  of  guilty  terrors  toft. 

10. 

Thou  who  for  me  didft  feel  fuch  pain, 
Whofe  precious  blood  the  crofs  did  ftain, 
Let  not  thefe  agonies  be  vain  I 

II. 

Thou  whom  avenging  powers  obey, 
Cancel  my  debt,  too  great  to  pay, 
Before  the  fad  accounting  day  ! 


The  Dies  Ira.  8l 


8. 


Dear  [Lord],  remember  in  that  day 
Who  was  the  caufe  Thou  cam'ft  this  way ; 
Thy  fheep  was  ftrayed,  and  Thou  wouldft  be 
Even  loft  Thyfelf  in  feeking  me  ! 

9- 
Shall  all  that  labor,  all  that  coft 
Of  love,  and  even  that  lofs,  be  loft  ? 
And  this  loved  foul  judged  worth  no  lefs 
Than  all  that  way  and  wearinefs  ? 

10. 

Juft  Mercy,  then,  Thy  reckoning  be 
With  my  price,  and  not  with  me  ; 
'Twas  paid  at  iirft  with  too  much  pain 
To  be  paid  twice,  or  once  in  vain. 

II. 

Mercy,  my  Judge,  mercy  I  cry, 
With  blufhing  cheek  and  bleeding  eye  5 
The  confcious  colors  of  my  fin 
Are  red  without,  and  pak  within. 


82  <%be  Dies  Ira. 

12. 

Surrounded  with  amazing  fears, 
Whofe  load  my  foul  with  anguifh  bears, 
I  figh,  I  weep  !  accept  my  tears  ! 

13- 

Thou  who  wert  moved  with  Mary's  grief. 

And  by  abfolving  of  the  thief 

Haft  given  me  hope,  now  give  relief  I 

H. 
Reject  not  my  unworthy  prayer ; 
Preferve  me  from  the  dangerous  fnare 
Which  death  and  gaping  hell  prepare. 

15. 
Give  my  exalted  foul  a  place 
Among  Thy  chofen  right-hand  race, 
The  fons  of  God  and  heirs  of  grace. 


tfhe   Dies  Ira.  83 

12. 

O  let  Thine  own  foft  bowels  pay 
Thyfelf,  and  fo  difcharge  that  day ! 
If  Sin  can  figh,  Love  can  forgive, 
O,  fay  the  word,  my  foul  fhall  live ! 

Thofe  mercies  which  Thy  Mary  found, 
Or  who  Thy  crofs  confefs'd  and  crowned, 
Hope  tells  my  heart  the  fame  loves  be 
Still  alive,  and  ftill  for  me. 

14- 

Though  both  my  prayers  and  tears  combine, 
Both  worthlefs  are,  for  they  are  mine  ; 
But  Thou  Thy  bounteous  felf  ftill  be, 
And  fhow  Thou  art  by  faving  me. 

15. 

O  when  Thy  laft  frown  fhall  proclaim 
The  flocks  of  goats  to  folds  of  flame, 
And  all  Thy  loft  fheep  found  fhall  be, 
Let  "  Come  ye  blefled  "  then  call  me  ! 


84  "The  Dies  Ira. 

16. 

From  that  infatiable  abyfs, 

Where  flames  devour  and  ferpents  hifs, 

Promote  me  to  thy  feat  of  blifs. 


17- 

Proftrate  my  contrite  heart  I  rend, 
My  God,  my  Father,  and  my  Friend  : 
Do  not  forfake  me  in  my  end  ! 

18. 

Well  may  they  curfe  their  fecond  breath 
Who  rife  to  a  reviving  death  : 
Thou  great  Creator  of  mankind, 
Let  guilty  man  companion  find ! 


The  Dies  Ira.  85 

16. 

When  the  dread  «1T£"  fhall  divide 
Thofe  limbs  of  death  from  Thy  left  fide, 
Let  thofe  life-fpeaking  lips  command 
That  I  inherit  Thy  right  hand  ! 

17. 

O,  hear  a  fuppliant  heart  all  crufh'd, 
And  crumbled  into  contrite  duft  ! 
My  hope,  my  fear — my  Judge,  my  Friend  ! 
Take  charge  of  me,  and  of  my  end  ! 


UNIVERSITY 


86  Hbe  Dies  Ira. 


VII. 


DR.    IRONS. 


DAY  of  Wrath  !  O  Day  of  mourning  ! 
See  !  once  more  the  Crofs  returning, 
Heav'n  and  earth  in  afhes  burning ! 


2. 


O  what  fear  man's  bofom  rendeth, 
When  from  Heav'n  the  Judge  defcendeth, 
On  whofe  fentence  all  dependeth  ! 


Wondrous  found  the  Trumpet  flingeth, 
Through  earth's  fepulchres  it  ringeth, 
AH  before  the  throne  it  bringeth  ! 


"The  Dies  Ira.  87 


VIII. 


MR.   SLOSSON. 


DAY  of  wrath  !  of  days  That  Day  ! 
Earth  in  flames  fhall  melt  away, 
Pfalmift  thus  and  Sibyl  fay. 


2. 


What  fwift  terrors  then  fhall  fall, 
When  defcends  the  Judge  of  all, 
Every  action  to  recall ! 


When  the  trump,  with  wondrous  tone 
Through  the  graves  of  nations  gone, 
Bids  the  race  confront  the  Throne. 


88  The  Dies  Ira. 


Death  is  ftruck,  and  nature  quaking, 

All  creation  is  awaking, 

To  its  Judge  an  anfwer  making ! 


Lo,  the  Book,  exactly  worded  ! 
Wherein  all  hath  been  recorded ; 
Thence  fhall  judgment  be  awarded. 


6. 

When  the  Judge  His  feat  attaineth, 
And  each  hidden  deed  arraigneth, 
Nothing  unaveng'd  remaineth. 


What  fhall  I,  frail  man,  be  pleading, 
Who  for  me  be  interceding, 
When  the  juft  are  mercy  needing  ? 


(Tbe  Dies  Ircz.  89 


Death  fhall  die — fair  nature  too  ; 
As  the  creature,  ris'n  anew, 
Anfwers  to  his  God's  review. 


He  the  fcroll  of  fate  fhall  fpread, 
Writ  with  all  things  done  or  faid, 
Thence  to  judge  th*  awaken'd  dead. 


6. 

Lo  !   He  takes  His  feat  of  light ; 
All  that's  dark  fhall  leap  to  fight, 
Guilt,  the  fword  of  vengeance  fmite. 


What  can  I,  then,  wretched,  plead  ? 
Who  will  mediate  in  my  need 
When  the  juft  fhall  fcarce  fucceed  ? 


90  The  Dies  Ira, 


King  of  majefty  tremendous, 
Who  doft  free  falvation  fend  us, 
Fount  of  pity  !  then  befriend  us  ! 


Think  !    Kind  Jefu,  my  falvation 
Caus'd  Thy  wondrous  Incarnation ; 
Leave  me  not  to  reprobation ! 


10. 

Faint  and  weary  Thou  haft  fought  me, 
On  the  Crofs  of  fuffering  bought  me ; 
Shall  fuch  grace  be  vainly  brought  me ! 


ii. 

Righteous  Judge  of  retribution, 

Grant  Thy  gift  of  abfolution, 

Ere  that  reckoning  day's  conclufion  ! 


^Ihe  Dies  Ira.  91 

8. 

King  majeftic  !  Sovereign  dread  ! 
Saving  all  for  whom  He  bled, 
Save  Thou  me  !  Salvation's  Head  ! 

9- 

Holy  Jefus  !  pricelefs  ftay  ! 
Think  !  for  me  Thy  bleeding  way  ! 
Lofe  me  not,  upon  That  Day. 


10. 

Faint  and  weary,  Thou  haft  fought, 
By  the  Crofs,  my  crown  haft  bought  ; 
Can  fuch  anguifh  be  for  naught  ? 


II. 

Oh  !  avenging  Judge  fevere, 
Grant  remiffion,  full  and  clear, 
Ere  th'  accounting  day  appear. 


Q2  ^he  Dies  Ira. 


12. 


Guilty,  now  I  pour  my  moaning, 
All  my  fhame  with  anguifh  owning  •, 
Spare,  O  God,  Thy  fuppliant,  groaning ! 


r3- 

Thou,  the  finful  woman  faveft, 
Thou,  the  dying  thief  forgaveft  ; 
And  to  me  a  hope  vouchfafeft ! 


14. 

Worthlefs  are  my  pray'rs  and  fighing, 
Yet,  good  Lord,  in  grace  complying, 
Refcue  me  from  fires  undying ! 


15- 

With  Thy  favor'd  ftieep,  O  place  me ! 
Nor  among  the  goats  abafe  me  ; 
But  to  Thy  right  hand  upraife  me. 


The  Dies  Ira.  93 


12. 


Like  a  guilty  thing  I  moan, 
Flufti'd  my  cheek,  my  fins  I  own, 
Hear,  O  God,  Thy  fuppliant's  groan  ! 


J3- 

Magdalen  found  grace  with  Thee, 
So  the  thief  upon  the  tree  ; 
Hope  Thou  giveft  e'en  to  me. 


Worthlefs  are  my  vows,  I  know, 
Yet,  dear  Lord,  Thy  pity  fhow, 
Left  I  fink  in  endlefs  woe. 


15. 

From  the  goats  my  lot  divide, 
With  Thy  lambs  a  place  provide, 
On  Thy  right  and  near  Thy  fide. 


94  The  Dies  Ira. 

1 6. 

While  the  wicked  are  confounded, 
Doom'd  to  flames  of  woe  unbounded, 
Call  me  !  with  Thy  faints  furrounded. 


i7- 

Low  I  kneel,  with  heart  fubmiflion ; 
See,  like  afhes,  my  contrition ; 
Help  me,  in  my  laft  condition ! 


18. 

Ah  !  that  Day  of  tears  and  mourning ! 
From  the  dull  of  earth  returning, 
Man  for  judgment  muft  prepare  him  ; 
Spare  !    O  God,  in  mercy,  fpare  him  ! 

Lord,  who  didft  our  fouls  redeem, 
Grant  a  blefled  Requiem  !     Amen. 


The  Dies  Ira.  95* 


16. 


When  th'  accursed  fink  in  fhame, 
Given  to  tormenting  flame, 
With  Thy  bleffed  call  my  name. 


17- 

Bowed  to  earth,  I  ftrive  in  prayer  j 
Heart  like  cinders,  fee,  I  bear; 
Its  laft  throbbing  be  Thy  care  ! 


18. 

Ah  !  That  Day  of  burning  tears, 
When  from  afhes  reappears 
Man  all  guilt,  his  doom  to  bear — 
Spare  him,  God  !  in  mercy,  spare  ! 


96  3&  Stabat  Mater. 


THE    STABAT    MATER 


THE  Stabat  Mater,  with  the  Dies  Ira, 
poflefles  the  power  of  imparting  a  fhad- 
owy  impreflion  of  its  meaning  by  the  melody  of 
its  verfe.  Its  foft,  fad  cadence  echoes  the  feeling 
of  its  pathetic  words.  In  fame  it  ranks  next  to 
the  Dies  Ira,  yet  is  neither  fo  fimple  nor  fo 
grand ;  nor  does  it  rife,  like  the  Great  Hymn, 
above  fe&arian  faults.  It  has  attracted  the  fame 
great  admiration,  and  been  praifed  and  repeated 
by  the  fame  great  admirers,  but  always  in  a 
lefTer  degree.  As  the  Dies  Ira  has  been  pro- 
nounced the  greateft,  fo  the  Stabat  Mater 
univerfally  is  deemed  the  moft  pathetic  of 
hymns. 

The  life  of  its  author  was  in  fit  keeping  with 
its  plaintive  utterances.  He  was  born  at  Todi, 
of  the  noble  Italian  houfe  of  Benedette,  and 
rofe    to    diftin&ion    as    a   jurift.     A  few   years 


ctbe  Stabat  Mater.  97 

after  the  Dies  Ira  was  written  (1268),  he  loft 
his  wife,  and,  broken-hearted,  renounced  the 
world  to  join,  like  Thomas  of  Celano,  the 
Order  of  St.  Francis.  In  the  ardor  of  his  devo- 
tion, he  tried  to  atone  by  felf-fought  tortures 
not  only  for  his  own  fins,  but,  like  our  Saviour, 
for  the  fins  of  others.  At  laft  his  forrows  fank 
into  infancy  and  ended  in  death. 

Dying  about  the  time  that  Petrarch  was  born, 
and  while  Dante  was  ftill  a  young  man,  his 
Cantate  Spirituali  mark  the  dawning  day  of 
the  Italian  language.  In  an  old  Venetian 
copy  of  thefe,  the  hiftorian  of  the  Francif- 
cans  (Wadding)  found  a  number  of  Latin 
poems,  amongft  which  was  the  Stabat  Mater, 
and  thus  eftablifhed  for  the  Order  of  St.  Francis 
the  honor  of  producing,  within  the  fame  cen- 
tury, the  two  moft  celebrated  of  Latin  hymns. 

When  the  firft  edition  of  this  book  was  pub- 
lifhed,  there  was  a  weaknefs  in  the  Englifh  ex- 
pofition  of  the  STABAT  MATER  which  no 
fearch  after  fitting  tranflations  could  cure,  and 
the  reader  was  warned  that  few  Englifh  verfions 
had   been  made,  and  not  one  that   ftxi&ly  pre- 


98  Tbe  Stabat  Mater. 

ferved  its  meafure.  That  of  Lord  Lindfay  was 
fele&ed,  and  is  ftill  retained,  as  beft  expreiling 
the  pathos  of  the  original.  Since  then,  however, 
this  portion  of  our  literature  has  received  fuch 
additions  as  will  render  the  expofition  of  the 
moft  pathetic  of  hymns  as  complete  as  it  probably 
ever  can  be  made. 

The  firft  of  thefe  new  verfions  is  by  the  accom- 
plifhed  foldier  whofe  verfion  of  the  Dies  Ira:  pre- 
vioufly  is  given.  The  facl:  is  noticeable  that 
while  his  accurate  rhythmic  tranflation  of  the 
"  Great  Hymn  "  was  written  amidft  the  din  of 
war,  and  while  its  author  was  on  duty  in  the  field, 
this  pathetic  verfion  of  the  STABAT  MATER 
has  been  compofed  while  its  author  was  furrounded 
by  the  gayeties  of  the  French  capital,  and  engrofled 
in  his  duties  as  Minifter  Plenipotentiary,  In  a 
private  letter,  General  Dix  fays  : — 

"  As  I  proceeded,  I  could  not  but  think  under  how  much  more 
favorable  circumftances  than  mine  Jacobus  de  Benzdictis  muft 
have  written  the  immortal  hymn.  He  was  in  all  probability  fit- 
ting in  his  narrow  cell,  the  external  world  entirely  fhut  out,  with 
nothing  before  him  but  a  crucifix,  to  which  it  was  only  neceflary 
to  lift  his  eyes  for  aid  when  he  felt  the  fpirit  of  infpiration  flag- 


The  Stabat  Mater.  99 

ging.  On  the  other  hand,  I  was  compelled  to  write  in  a  Parifian 
faloon,  amid  the  glare  of  meretricious  gilding,  almoft  under  the 
fhadow  of  the  great  triumphal  arch — one  of  thofe  gigantic 
memorials  of  human  victories  which  for  the  caufe  of  human  civil- 
ization had  much  better  be  forgotten  than  commemorated  j  the 
canvas  on  the  walls  fwarming  with  young  fauns,  cupids,  and 
other  Pagan  devices. 

"  In  making  the  tranflation  I  kept  in  view  three  or  four  lead- 
ing objects  which  I  will  briefly  ftate. 

"  I.  An  inflexible  adherence  to  the  rhythm. 

"  2.  A  faithful  prefervation  of  every  thought  contained  in  the 
original. 

"  3.  A  vigorous  exclufion  of  every  thought  not  contained  in  it. 

"  4.  A  prefervation  as  far  as  poflible,  of  the  tendernefs  of  feel- 
ing and  expreflion,  which  is  the  chara&eriftic  of  the  hymn." 

The  fecond  of  the  new  tranflations  is  by  that 
accomplifhed  author,  two  of  whofe  remarkable 
renderings  of  the  Dies  Ira  already  enrich  this 
work.  Of  the  veriion  now  given  a  diftinguifhed 
fcholar  fays,  "  The  Englifh  double  rhyme  rarely 
expreffes  the  melody  and  pathos  of  the  Latin. 
Dr.  Abraham  Coles,  of  Newark,  has  probably 
beft  succeeded  in  a  faithful  rendering  of  the  Mater 
Dolorofar—Dr.  Philip  Schaff. 

A  further  expofition  of  the  Stabat  Mater  is 
given  in  the  newly  found  companion-hymn,  Stabat 


loo  ^be  Stabat  Mater. 

Mater  Speciofa,  with  its  translation,  the  laft  work 
of  Dr.  John  Mafon  Neale.  This  long-loft 
lyric  has  recently  been  introduced  to  American 
readers  by  Dr.  Schaff,  who  has  briefly  told  its 
ftory,  and  thus  admirably  analyzed  its  relation  to 
the  Stabat  Mater  : — 

"  While  the  latter  has  been  known  and  admired  for  nearly  five 
centuries,  the  former,  though  probably  as  old,  was  buried  in  ob- 
fcurity,  until  it  was  brought  to  light  in  our  day  by  A.  F.  Ozanam 
in  his  work  on  the  Francifcan  Poets,  and  in  the  improved  Ger- 
man edition  of  this  work  by  Julius,  with  an  admirable  tranflation 
of  the  hymn  by  Cardinal  Diepenbrock,  then  bifhop  of  Breflau. 
The  poem  has  alfo  attracted  the  attention  of  Englifh  hymnologifts, 
and  been  tranflated  for  the  firft  time  into  Englifh  by  the  late  Dr. 
John  Mafon  Neale,  who  published  the  original  Latin  with  the 
tranflation  a  few  days  before  his  death,  in  Auguft,  1866,  thus 
clofing  his  ufeful  and  brilliant  hymnological  labors. 

The  Mater  Speciofa  and  the  Mater  Dolorofa  are,  apparently,  the 
product  of  the  fame  genius.  They  are  companion-hymns,  and  re- 
femble  each  other  like  twin  Afters.  The  Mater  Dolorofa  was 
evidently  fuggefted  by  the  Scripture  fcene,  as  briefly  ftated  by  St. 
John,  Stabat  juxta  crucem  mater  ejus  ;  and  this  again,  fuggefted  the 
cradle-hymn  as  a  counterpart.  It  is  a  parallelifm  of  contraft  which 
runs  from  beginning  to  end.  The  Mater  Speciofa  is  a  Chriftmas 
hymn,  and  fings  the  overflowing  joy  of  Mary  at  the  cradle  of 
the  new-born  Saviour.  The  Mater  Dolorofa  is  a  Good  Friday 
hymn,  and  fings  the  piercing  agony  of  Mary  at  the  crofs  of  her 


The  Stabat  Mater.  101 

divine  human  Son.  They  breathe  the  fame  love  to  Chrift,  and 
the  burning  defire  to  become  identified  with  Mary  by  fympathy  in 
the  intenfity  of  her  joy  as  in  the  intenfity  of  her  grief.  They  are 
the  fame  in  ftru&ure,  and  excel  alike  in  the  Angularly  touch- 
ing mufic  of  language,  and  the  foft  cadence  that  echoes  the  fenti- 
ment.  Both  confift  of  two  parts,  the  firft  of  which  defcribes  the 
obje&ive  fituation ;  the  fecond  identifies  the  author  with  the 
fituation,  and  addrefles  the  Virgin  as  an  object  of  worfhip.  Both 
bear  the  imprefs  of  their  age  and  the  monaftic  order  which 
probably  gave  them  birth.  The  myfterious  charm  and  power  of 
the  two  hymns  are  due  to  the  subject  and  to  the  intenfity  of  feeling 
with  which  the  author  feized  it.  Mary  at  the  manger,  and  Mary 
at  the  crofs,  opens  a  vifta  to  an  abyfs  of  joy  and  of  grief  fuch  as 
the  world  never  faw  before.  Mary  ftood  there  not  only  as  the 
mother,  but  as  the  reprefentative  of  the  whole  Chriftian  church, 
for  which  the  eternal  Son  of  God  was  born  an  infant  in  the 
manger,  and  for  which  he  fuffered  the  moft  ignominious  death  on 
the  crofs. 


102  The  Stabat  Mater. 


STABAT    MATER 


JACOBUS    DE    BENEDICTIS. 


I. 

STABAT  Mater  dolorofa, 
Juxta  crucem  lacrymofa, 
Dum  pendebat  films. 
Cujus  animam  gementem, 
Contriftatam  et   dolentem,    • 
Pertranfivit  gladius. 

II. 

O  quam  triftis  et  affli£a, 
Fuit  ilia  benedi£ta 

Mater  unigeniti  ! 
Quae  moerebat  et  dolebat, 
Pia  mater,  dum  videbat 

Nati  poenas  inclyti. 


Tie  Stabat  Mater.  103 


THE    STABAT    MATER. 


LORD    LINDSAY. 


I. 

BY  the  Crofs,  fad  vigil  keeping, 
Stood  the  mournful  mother  weeping, 
While  on  it  the  Saviour  hung ; 
In  that  hour  of  deep  diftrefs, 
Pierced  the  fword  of  bitternefs 

Through  her  heart  with  forrow  wrung. 


Oh  !  how  fad,  how  woe-begone 
Was  that  ever-bleffed  one, 

Mother  of  the  Son  of  God ! 
Oh  !  what  bitter  tears  fhe  fhed 
Whilft  before  her  Jesus  bled 

'Neath  the  Father's  penal  rod  I 


104  We  Stabat  Mater. 

in. 

Quis  eft  homo  qui  non  fleret, 
Chrifti  matrem  fi  videret 

In  tanto  fupplicio  ? 
Quis  non  poffet  contriftari 
Piam  matrem  contemplari 

Dolentem  cum  filio  ? 

IV. 

Pro  peccatis  fuae  gentis, 
Vidit  Jefum  in  tormentis, 

Et  flagellis  fubditum. 
Vidit  fuum  dulcem  natum, 
Morientem,  defolatum, 

Dum  emifit  fpiritum. 


Eia  mater,  fons  amoris, 
Me  fentire  vim  doloris 

Fac,  ut  tecum  lugeam. 
Fac  ut  ardeat  cor  meum, 
In  amando  Chriftum  Deum 

Ut  illi  complaceam. 


<ihe  Stabat  Mater.  105 

3- 

Who's  the  man  could  view  unmoved 
Christ's  fweet  mother,  whom  He  loved, 

In  fuch  dire  extremity  ? 
Who  his  pitying  tears  withhold, 
Christ's  fweet  mother  to  behold 

Sharing  in  His  agony  ? 

4. 
For  the  Father's  broken  law, 
Mary  thus  the  Saviour  faw 

Sport  of  human  cruelties — 
Saw  her  fweet,  her  only  Son, 
God-forfaken  and  undone, 

Die  a  finlefs  facrifice  ! 

5. 

Mary  mother,  fount  of  love, 
Make  me  fhare  thy  forrow,  move 

All  my  foul  to  fympathy ! 
Make  my  heart  within  me  glow 
With  the  love  of  Jesus — fo 

Shall  I  find  acceptancy. 


ic6  The  Stabat  Mater. 

VI. 

San&a  Mater,  iftud  agas, 
Crucifixi  fige  plagas 

Cordi  meo  valide. 
Tui  Nati  vulnerati, 
Tarn  dignati  pro  me  pati, 

Poenas  mecum  divide. 

VII. 

Fac  me  vere  tecum  flere, 
Crucifixo  condolere, 

Donee  ego  vixero. 
Juxta  crucem  tecum  ftare, 
Et  tibi  me  fociare 

In  plan&u  defidero. 

VIII. 

Virgo  virginum   praeclara, 
Mihi  jam  non  fis  amara  ; 

Fac  me  tecum  plangerec 
Fac  ut  portem  Chrifti  mortem 
Paffionis  fac  confortem, 

Et  plagas  recolere. 


*Hhe  Stabat  Mater.  107 


Print,  O  Mother,  on  my  heart, 
Deeply  print  the  wounds,  the  fmart 

Of  my  Saviour's  chaftifement ; 
He  who,  to  redeem  my  lofs, 
Deigned  to  bleed  upon  the  crofs — - 

Make  me  fhare  His  punifhment. 

7- 
Ever  with  thee,  at  thy  fide, 
'Neath  the  Christ,  the  Crucified, 

Mournful  mother,  let  me  be ! 
By  the  Crofs  fad  vigil  keeping, 
Ever  watchful,  ever  weeping, 

Thy  companion  conftantly  ! 

8. 

Maid  of  maidens,  undefiled, 
Mother  gracious,  mother  mild, 

Melt  my  heart  to  weep  with  thee  ! 
Crown  me  with  Christ's  thorny  wreath, 
Make  me  confort  of  His  death, 

Sharer  of  His  victory. 


108  ^he  Stabat  Mater. 

IX. 

Fac  me  plagis  vulnerari, 
Fac  me  cruce  inebriari,  ». 

Et  cruore  filii. 
Inflammatus  et  accenfus, 
Per  te,  Virgo,  fim  defenfus, 

In  die  judicii. 


Fac  me  cruce  cuftodiri, 
Morte  Chrifti  praemuniri, 

Confoveri  gratia. 
Quando  corpus   morietur, 
Fac  ut  animae  donetur 

Paradifi  gloria. 


"The  Stabat  Mater.  109 

9- 

Never  from  the  mingled  tide 
Flowing  ftill  from  Jesus'  fide, 

May  my  lips  inebriate  turn ; 
And  when  in  the  day  of  doom, 
Lightning-like  He  rends  the  tomb, 

Shield,  oh  fhield  me,  left  I  burn ! 

10. 

So  the  fhadow  of  the  tree 
Where  thy  Jesus  bled  for  me 

Still  fhall  be  my  fortalice  ; 
So  when  flefh  and  fpirit  fever 
Shall  I  live,  thy  boon,  for  ever 

In  the  joys  of  Paradife  ! 


HO  ^he  Stabat  Mater 


STABAT    MATER 


GENERAL    DIX. 


NEAR  the  Crofs  the  Saviour  bearing 
Stood  the  mother  lone,  defpairing, 
Bitter  tears  down  falling  faft. 
Wearied  was  her  heart  with  grieving, 
Worn  her  breaft  with  forrow  heaving, 
Through  her  foul  the  fword  had  pafled. 


Ah  !  how  fad  and  broken-hearted 
Was  that  bleffed  mother,  parted 

From  the  God-begotten  One  ! 
How  her  loving  heart  did  languifh 
When  me  faw  the  mortal  anguifti 

Which  o'erwhelmed  her  peerlefs  Son. 


Hhe  Stabat  Mater.  in 


STABAT    MATER, 


DR.    COLES. 


I. 


STOOD  the  afflifted  mother  weeping 
Near  the  crofs  her  ftation  keeping 
Whereon  hung  her  Son  and  Lord ; 
Through  whofe  fpirit  fympathizing, 
Sorrowing  and  agonizing 
Alfo  parted  the  cruel  fword. 


2. 

Oh !  how  mournful  and  diftrefled 
Was  that  favored  and  moft  blefled 

Mother  of  the  only  Son  ! 
Trembling,  grieving,  bofom  heaving, 
While  perceiving,  fcarce  believing, 

Pains  of  that  Illuftrious  One. 


112  He  Stabat  Mater 


Who  coula  witnefs  without  weeping 
Such  a  flood  of  forrow  fweeping 

O'er  the  ftricken  mother's  breafl  ? 
Who  contemplate  without  being 
Moved  to  kindred  grief  by  feeing 

Son  and  mother  thus  opprefled  ? 


For  our  fins  me  faw  Him  bending 
And  the  cruel  lafh  defcending 

On  His  body  ftripped  and  bare  ; 
Saw  her  own  dear  Jefus  dying, 
Heard  His  fpirit's  laft  out-crying 

Sharp  with  anguifh  and  defpair. 

5- 

Gentle  Mother,  love's  pure  fountain ! 
Caft,  oh  !  caft  on  me  the  mountain 

Of  thy  grief  that  I  may  weep  ; 
Let  my  heart  with  ardor  burning, 
Chrift's  unbounded  love  returning, 

His  rich  favor  win  and  keep. 


The  Stabat  Mater.  113 

3- 

Who  the  man,  who,  called  a  brother, 
Would  not  weep,  faw  he  Chrift's  mother 

In  fuch  deep  diftrefs  and  wild  ? 
Who  could  not  fad  tribute  render 
Witneffing  that  mother  tender 

Agonizing  with  her  child  ? 


For  His  people's  fins  atoning, 
Him  (he  faw  in  torments  groaning, 

Given  to  the  fcourger's  rod ; 
Saw  her  darling  offspring  dying, 
Defolate,  forfaken,  crying, 

Yield  His  fpirit  up  to  God. 

5. 

Make  me  feel  thy  forrow's  power, 
That  with  thee  I  tears  may  fhower, 

Tender  mother,  fount  of  love  ! 
Make  my  heart  with  love  unceafing 
Burn  toward  Chrift  the  Lord,  that  pleafing 

I  may  be  to  Him  above. 


114  The  Stabat  Mater. 

6. 

Holy  Mother,  be  thy  ftudy 

Chrift's  dear  image  fcarred  and  bloody 

To  enfhrine  within  my  heart ! 
Martyred  Son  !  whofe  grace  has  fet  me 
Free  from  endlefs  death,  oh  !  let  me 

Of  Thy  fufferings  bear  a  part. 


Mother,  let  our  tears  commingle, 
Be  the  crucifix  my  fingle 

Sign  of  forrow  while  I  live  : 
Let  me  by  the  Crofs  ftand  near  thee, 
There  to  fee  thee,  there  to  hear  thee, 

For  each  figh  a  figh  to  give. 

8. 

Pureft  of  the  Virgins  !  turn  not 
Thy  difpleafure  on  me — fpurn  not 

My  defire  to  weep  with  thee. 
Let  me  live  Chrift's  paflion  fharing, 
All  His  wounds  and  forrows  bearing 

In  my  tearful  memory. 


The  Stabat  Mater.  115 


Holy  mother,  this  be  granted, 

That  the  flain  one's  wounds  be  planted 

Firmly  in  my  heart  to  bide. 
Of  Him  wounded,  all  aftounded — 
Depths  unbounded  for  me  founded, 

All  the  pangs  with  me  divide. 


Make  me  weep  with  thee  in  union ; 
With  the  Crucified,  communion 

In  His  grief  and  fuffering  give  ; 
Near  the  crofs  with  tears  unfailing 
I  would  join  thee  in  thy  wailing 

Here  as  long  as  I  mall  live. 

8. 

Maid  of  maidens,  all  excelling  ! 
Be  not  bitter,  me  repelling, 

Make  thou  me  a  mourner  too  ; 
Make  me  bear  about  Chrift's  dying, 
Share  His  paffion,  fhame  defying, 

All  His  wounds  in  me  renew. 


ll6  Tbe  Stabat  Mater. 

9- 

Be,  ye  wounds,  my  tribulation  ! 
Be,  thou  Crofs,  my  infpiratiori  ! 

Mark,  O  blood,  my  Heaven-ward  way. 
Thus  to  fervor  rapt,  O  tender 
Virgin,  be  thou  my  defender 

In  the  dreadful  Judgment  Day. 

10. 

With  the  Crofs  my  faith  I'll  cherifh ; 
By  Chrift's  death  fuftained  I'll  perifti, 

Through  His  grace  again  to  rife. 
Come  then,  Death,  this  body  fealing, 
To  my  ranfomed  foul  revealing 

Glorious  days  in  Paradife. 


The  Stabat  Mater,  117 


Wound  for  wound  be  there  created ; 
With  the  crofs  intoxicated 

For  thy  Son's  dear  fake,  I  pray — 
May  I,  fired  with  pure  affe&ion, 
Virgin,  have  through  thee  protection 

In  the  folemn  Judgment  Day. 

10. 

Let  me  by  the  Crofs  be  warded, 
By  the  death  of  Chrift  be  guarded, 

Nouriflied  by  divine  fupplies. 
When  the  body  death  hath  riven, 
Grant  that  to  the  foul  be  given 

Glories  bright  of  Paradife. 


ll8  ^he  Stabat  Mater. 


MATER   SPECIOSA 

JACOBUS    DE    BENEDICTIS. 


STABAT  Mater  fpeciofa 
Juxta  foenum  gaudiofa, 
Dum  jacebat  parvulus  ; 
Cujus  animam  gaudentem 
Lactabundam  ac  ferventem 
Pertranfivit  jubilus. 

ii. 

O  quam  laeta  et  beata 
Fuit  ilia  immaculata 

Mater  Unigeniti  ! 
Quae  gaudebat  et  ridebat, 
Exultabat,  cum  videbat   % 

Nati  partum  inclyti. 


The  Stabat  Mater.  119 


MATER    SPECIOSA 


DR.    NEALE. 


FULL  of  beauty  flood  the  mothel 
By  the  manger,  bleft  o'er  other, 
Where  her  little  one  fhe  lays : 
For  her  inmoft  foul's  elation, 
In  its  fervid  jubilation, 

Thrills  with  ecftafy  of  praife. 

2. 

Oh  !  what  glad,  what  rapturous  feeling 
Filled  that  bleffed  mother,  kneeling 

By  the  Sole-Begotten  One  ! 
How,  her  heart  with  laughter  bounding, 
She  beheld  the  work  aftounding, 

Saw  His  birth,  the  glorious  Son. 


120  tfhe  Stabat  Mater. 

in. 

Quis  jam  eft,  qui  non  gauderet 
Chrifti  matrem  fi  videret 

In  tanto  folatio  ? 
Quis  non  poflet  collaetari, 
Chrifti  matrem  contemplari 

Ludentem  cum  filio  ? 

IV. 

Pro  peccatis  fuse  gentis 
Chriftum  vidit  cum  jumentis 

Et  algori  fubditum  ; 
Vidit  fuum  dulcem  natum 
Vagientem,  adoratum  • 

Vili  diverforio. 

v.    - 

Nato  Chrifto  in  praefepe 
Caeli  cives  canunt  laete 

Cum  immenfo  gaudio  5 
Stabat  fenex  cum  puella 
Non  cum  verbo  nee  loquela 

Stupefcentes  cordibus 


T£<?  Stabat  Mater.  121 

3- 

Who  is  he,  that  fight  who  beareth, 
Nor  Chrift's  mother's  folace  fhareth 

In  her  bofom  as  He  lay : 
Who  is  he  that  would  not  render 
Tend'reft  love  for  love  fo  tender, 

Love,  with  that  dear  babe  at  play  ? 


For  the  trefpafs  of  her  nation 
She  with  oxen  faw  His  flation 

Subjected  to  cold  and  woe  ; 
Saw  her  fweeteft  offspring's  wailing, 
Wife  men  Him  with  worfhip  hailing, 

In  the  ftable,  mean  and  low. 


Jefus  lying  in  the  manger, 
Heavenly  armies  fang  the  ftranger, 

In  the  great  joy-bearing  part ; 
Stood  the  old  man  with  the  maiden, 
No  words  fpeaking,  only  laden 

With  this  wonder  in  their  heart. 


122  The  Stabat  Mater. 

VI. 

Eja  mater,  fons  amoris, 
Me  fentire  vim  ardoris, 

Fac  ut  tecum  fentiam  !  • 
Fac  ut  ardeat  cor  meum 
In  amatum  Chriftum  Deum,  « 

Ut  fibi  complaceam. 

VII. 

San&a  mater,  iftud  agas, 
Prone  introducas  plagas   w 

Cordi  fixas  valide. 
Tui  nati  ccelo  lapfi, 
Jam  dignati  foeno  nafci 

Pcenas  mecum  divide. 

VIII. 

Fac  me  vere  congaudere, 
Jefulino  cohaerere 

Donee  ego  vixero. 
In  me  fiftat  ardor  tui ;    a. 
Puerino  fac  me  frui 

Dum  fum  in  exilio. 
Hunc  ardorem  fac  communem, 
Ne  me  facias  immunem 

Ab  hoc  defiderio. 


Tbe  Stabat  Mater.  123 

6. 
Mother,  fount  of  love  ftill  flowing, 
Let  me,  with  thy  rapture  glowing, 

Learn  to  fympathize  with  thee : 
Let  me  raife  my  heart's  devotion 
Up  to  Chrift  with  pure  emotion, 

That  accepted  I  may  be. 

7- 
Mother,  let  me  win  this  blefling, 
Let  His  forrow's  deep  imprefling 

In  my  heart  engraved  remain  : 
Since  thy  Son,  from  heaven  defcending, 
Deigned  to  bear  the  manger's  tending, 

Oh  !  divide  with  me  His  pain. 

8. 
Keep  my  heart  its  gladnefs  bringing, 
To  my  Jefus  ever  clinging 

Long  as  this  my  life  fhall  laft ; 
Love  like  that  thine  own  love,  give  i^ 
On  my  little  child  to  rivet, 

Till  this  exile  fhall  be  paft. 
Let  me  fhare  thine  own  affli&ion  ; 
Let  me  fuffer  no  rejection 

Of  my  purpofe  fixed  and  faft. 


124  c^je  Stobat  Mater. 

IX. 

Virgo  virginum  praeclara, 
Mihi  jam  non  fis  amara  ; 

Fac  me  parvum  rapere  ; 
Fac  ut  pulchrum  fantem  portem, 
Qui  nafcendo  vicit  mortem, 

Volens  vitam  tradere. 

x. 

Fac  me  tecum  fatiari,    * 
Nato  me  inebriari, 

Stans  inter  tripudio. 
Inflammatus  et  accenfus 
Obftupefcit  omnis  fenfus 

Tali  de  commercio. 

XI. 

Omnes  ftabulum  amantes,  * 
Et  paftores  vigilantes 

Perno&antes  fociant. 
Per  virtutem  nati  tui 
Ora  ut  ele&i  sui 

Ad  patriam  veniant.  - 


The  Stabat  Mater.  125 


Virgin,  peerlefs  of  condition, 
Be  not  wroth  with  my  petition, 

Let  me  clafp  thy  little  Son  ; 
Let  me  bear  that  child  fo  glorious, 
Him,  whofe  birth,  o'er  death  victorious, 

Willed  that  life  for  man  was  won. 

10. 

Let  me,  fatiate  with  my  pleafure, 
Feel  the  rapture  of  thy  treafure 

Leaping  for  that  joy  intenfe  : 
That,  inflamed  by  fuch  communion, 
Through  the  marvel  of  that  union 

I  may  thrill  in  every  fenfe. 

11. 

All  that  love  this  ftable  truly, 
And  the  fhepherds  watching  duly, 

Tarry  there  the  livelong  night : 
Pray  that,  by  thy  Son's  dear  merit, 
His  elected  may  inherit 

Their  own  country's  endlefs  light. 


126  "the  Feni  Santte. 


THE    VENI    SANCTE    SPIRITUS. 


IN  the  year  997,  "whilft  the  priefthood  ftrug- 
"  gled  to  regain  through  their  anathemas  the 
"  property  that  had  been  taken  from  them  by 
"  violence,  a  young  man,  who  knew  neither  to 
"  threaten  nor  to  lie,  nor  to  infpire  others  with 
"  fear,  fucceeded  to  the  royal  dignity  which  his 
"  father  had  ufurped.  It  was  Robert,  only  fon 
"  of  Hugh  Capet." — Sifmondi,  Hi/i.  Francois. 

This  King,  "  there  is  no  good  reafon  to 
M  doubt"  (Konigsfeld\  was  the  author  of  the 
Veni  Sancte  Spiritus,  a  hymn  that  the  beft 
living  authority  regards  as  M  the  lovelieft  of  all 
"  the  hymns  in  the  whole  circle  of  Latin  facred 
"  poetry." — Trench. 

The  ability  of  Robert  II.  to  have  compofed 
the  hymn  which  ranks  next  to  the  Dies  Ires  and 


The  Feni  Sanffe.  127 

Stabat  Mater,  is  not  improbable,  for,  according 
to  the  chronicle  of  Saint  Bertin,  he  was  a  faint, 
a  poet,  and  a  mufician  : 

"  Robert  etoit  tres-pieux,  prudent,  lettre,  et  fuffifamment  phi- 
**  lofophe,  mais  furtout  excellent  muficien.  II  compofa  la  profe 
**  du  Saint-Efprit,  qui  commence  par  ces  mots,  Adfit  nobis  gratia, 
"  les  rhythmes,  Juda  et  Hierufalemy  et  Cornelius  Centurio,  qu*il 
"  offrit  a  Rome  fur  l'autel  de  Saint-Pierre,  notes  avec  le  chant 
"  qui  leur  etoit  propre,  de  meme  que  1'antiphone  Eripe,  et  plu- 
*'  fieurs  auttes  beaux  morceaux." 

The  translation  which  is  here  given  is  from 
the  Lyra  Germanica  of  Catherine  Winkworth. 
That  work  profefTes  to  be  tranflated  from  the 
German ;  but  its  verfion  of  the  Veni  Sancte 
Spiritus  is  a  finer  tranflation  than  any  that  pro- 
fefTes to  be  from  the  Latin. 

The  only  alteration  which  has  been  made  in 
the  text  is  the  firft  word  of  the  Englifh  verfion. 
As  there  was  no  reafon  for  rendering  the  Latin 
verb  by  the  Englifh  interjection  "  O,"  it  is  pre- 
fumed  that  this  was  an  unintended  error  of  the 
ufually  faithful  and  fcrupulous  tranflator. 


128  The  Feni  Santte. 


VENI    SANCTE    SPIRITUS. 


ROBERT    II. 


I. 


"^TENI,  San&e  Spiritus, 

T        Et  emitte  coelitus, 
Lucis  tuae  radium. 


II. 

Veni,  pater  pauperum, 
Veni,  dator  munerum, 
Veni,  lumen  cordium. 

HI. 

Confolator  optime, 
Dulcis  hofpes  animae, 
Dulce  refrigerium. 


^he  Feni  Santte.  129 


THE    VENI    SANCTE    SPIRITUS. 


CATHERINE    WINKWORTH. 


COME,  Holy  Ghoft  !  Thou  fire  divine  ! 
From  higheft  heaven  on  us  down  mine  ! 
Comforter,  be  Thy  comfort  mine  ! 


Come,  Father  of  the  poor,  to  earth ; 
Come  with  Thy  gifts  of  precious  worth  ; 
Come,  Light  of  all  of  mortal  birth  ! 

3- 

Thou  rich  in  comfort !     Ever  bleft 

The  heart  where  Thou  art  conftant  gueft, 

Who  giv'ft  the  heavy-laden  reft. 


130  The  Feni  Sanffe. 


IV. 


In  labore  requies, 
In  aeftu  temperies, 
In  fletu  folatium. 


O  lux  beatiffima  ! 
Reple  cordis  intima, 
Tuorum  fidelium. 


VI. 

Sine  tuo  numine, 
Nihil  eft  in  homine, 
Nihil  eft  innoxium. 


VII. 

Lava  quod  eft  fordidum, 
Riga  quod  eft  aridum, 
Sana  quod  eft  faucium. 


The  Feni  Santte.  131 


Come  Thou  in  whom  our  toil  is  fweet, 
Our  fhadow  in  the  noon-day  heat, 
Before  whom  mourning  flieth  fleet. 

5- 

Bright  Sun  of  Grace  !     Thy  funfhine  dart 
On  all  who  cry  to  Thee  apart, 
And  fill  with  gladnefs  every  heart. 

6. 

Whate'er  without  Thy  aid  is  wrought, 
Or  Ikilful  deed,  or  wifeft  thought, 
God  counts  it  vain  and  merely  naught. 

7- 

O  cleanfe  us  that  we  fin  no  more, 
O'er  parched  fouls  Thy  waters  pour  5 
Heal  the  fad  heart  that  acheth  fore. 


132  The  reni  Santte. 


VIII. 


Fle&e  quod  eft  rigidum, 
Fove  quod  eft  frigidum, 
Rege  quod  eft  devium. 


IX. 


Da  tuis  fidelibus, 
In  te  confidentibus, 
Sacrum  feptenarium. 


x. 


Da  virtutis  meritum, 
Da  falutis  exitum, 
Da  perenne  gaudium. 


The  Feni  Santte.  133 

8. 

Thy  will  be  ours  in  all  our  ways ; 
O  melt  the  frozen  with  Thy  rays  ; 
Call  home  the  loft  in  error's  maze. 


And  grant  us,  Lord,  who  cry  to  Thee, 
And  hold  the  Faith  in  unity, 
Thy  precious  gifts  of  charity. 


10. 

That  we  may  live  in  holinefs, 
And  find  in  death  our  happinefs, 
And  dwell  with  Thee  in  lafting  blifs ! 


J34  'ike  Feni  Creator. 


THE   VENI    CREATOR    SPIRITUS. 


"/CHARLEMAGNE,  reclame  par  l'Eglife 
V^  comme  un  faint,  par  les  Francais  comme 
"  leur  plus  grand  roi,  par  les  Allemands  comme 
cc  leur  compatriote,  par  les  Italiens  comme  leur 
"  empereur,"  is  the  reputed  author  of  this 
Latin  hymn.  Men  naturally  prefer  to  trace  a 
venerable  and  renowned  compofition  to  an  un- 
expected authorfhip,  and  to  find  the  refinement 
of  letters  in  thofe  otherwife  diftinguifhed  ;  ftill 
more,  to  difcover  in  a  great  foldier  and  a  great 
king  the  doubly  refined  gift  of  facred  poetry. 
It  is  not  impoflible.  "  The  eloquence  of  Char- 
"  lemagne,"  fays  his  Secretary,  "  was  abundant. 
"  He  was  able  to  exprefs  with  facility  all  he 
cc  wifhed  ;  and,  not  content  with  his  mother- 
"  tongue,  he  beftowed  great  pains  upon  foreign 
"  languages.  He  had  taken  fo  well  to  the  Latin, 
"that  he  was  able  to  fpeak  publicly  in  that  Ian- 


The  Feni  Creator.  135 

"guage  almoft  as  eafily  as  in  his  own.  He 
u  underftood  Greek,  and  ftudied  Hebrew." 

There  remains  of  his  mufe  an  epitaph  on 
Adrian  I.,  in  thirty-eight  verfes ;  the  Song  of 
Roland ,  an  ode  to  the  fcholar  Warnefride,  and 
an  epigram  in  hexameter  verfe.  This  epigram 
was  found  in  a  manufcript  containing  a  com- 
mentary on  the  Epijile  to  the  Romans,  attributed 
to  Origen,  and  corrected  in  the  hand  of  Char- 
lemagne. The  fubjecl:  of  the  hymn  feems  alfo 
to  have  engaged  the  attention  of  the  Emperor, 
for  there  is  a  letter  by  him  addrefled  to  his 
bifhops,  entitled  De  gratia  feptiformis  Spiritus. 
He  died  at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  his  crown  upon  his 
head,  and  his  copy  of  the  Gofpels  upon  his 
knees,  January  28,  814, 

The  Englifh  verfion  of  the  hymn  is  the  para- 
phrafe  of  Dryden,  of  which  Warton  fays  :  "  This 
"is  a  raoft  elegant  and  beautiful  little  morfel, 
"and  one  of  his  moft  correct  compositions." 
There  is  a  translation  in  the  Prayer  Book  (Or- 
dering of  Priefts)  which  is  noteworthy,  as  being 
the  only  Breviary  hymn  retained  by  the  Epifco- 
pal  Church. 


136  ctbe  Feni  Creator, 

VENI    CREATOR    SPIRITUS. 

CHARLEMAGNE. 

VENI,  Creator  Spiritus, 
Mentes  tuorum  vifita, 
Imple  fuperna  gratia, 
Quae  tu  creafti  pe&ora. 

Qui  diceris  Paraclitus, 
Altiffimi  donum  Dei, 
Fons  vivus,  ignis,  charitas, 
Et  fpiritalis  un&io. 

Tu  feptiformis  munere, 
Digitus  Paternae  dexterae, 
Tu  rite  promiflum  Patris, 
Sermone  ditans  guttura. 

Accende  lumen  fenflbus, 
Infunde  amorem  cordibus, 
Infirma  noftri  corporis 
Virtute  firmans  perpeti. 


1?be  Feni  Creator.  *37 


THE    VENI    CREATOR    SPIRITUS. 

DRYDEN. 

CREATOR  Spirit,  by  whofe  aid 
The  world's  foundations  flrft  were  laid, 
Come  vifit  every  pious  mind, 
Come  pour  Thy  joys  on  human  kind  ; 
From  fin  and  forrow  fet  us  free, 
And  make  Thy  temples  worthy  Thee. 

O  source  of  uncreated  light, 
The  Father's  promifed  Paraclete  ! 
Thrice  holy  fount,  thrice  holy  fire, 
Our  hearts  with  heavenly  love  infpire ; 
Come,  and  Thy  facred  unction  bring, 
To  fan&ify  us  while  we  fing. 

Plenteous  of  grace,  defcend  from  high, 

Rich  in  Thy  fevenfold  energy  ! 

Thou  ftrength  of  His  almighty  hand, 

Whofe  power  does  heaven  and  earth  command. 

Proceeding  Spirit,  our  defence, 

Who  doft  the  gifts  of  tongues  difpenfe, 

And  crown'ft  Thy  gift  with  eloquence ! 


i38  The  Veni  Creator. 

Hoftem  repellas  longius, 
Pacemque  dones  protinus : 
Du&ore  fie  te  praevio 
Vitemus  omne  noxium. 

Per  te  fciamus  da  Patrem, 
Nofcamus  atque  Filium ; 
Teque  utriufque  Spiritum 
Credamus  omni  tempore. 

Deo  Patri  fit  gloria 
Et  Filio  qui  a  mortuis 
Surrexit,  ac  Paraclito, 
In  faeculorum  faecula. 


^he  Feni  Creator.  J39 

Refine  and  purge  our  earthly  parts ; 
But,  oh,  inflame  and  fire  our  hearts  ! 
Our  frailties  help,  our  vice  control, 
Submit  the  fenfes  to  the  foul ; 
And  when  rebellious  they  are  grown, 
Then  lay  Thy  hand  and  hold  'em  down. 

Chase  from  our  minds  th'  infernal  foe, 
And  peace  the  fruit  of  love  beftow  ; 
And  left  our  feet  fhould  ftep  aftray, 
Protect  and  guide  us  on  the  way. 

Make  us  eternal  truths  receive, 
And  pra&ife  all  that  we  believe  ; 
Give  us  Thyfelf,  that  we  may  fee 
The  Father  and  the  Son  by  Thee. 

Immortal  honor,  endlefs  fame, 
Attend  the  Almighty  Father's  name : 
The  Saviour  Son  be  glorified, 
Who  for  loft  man's  redemption  died  ; 
And  equal  adoration  be, 
Eternal  Paraclete,  to  Thee. 


Ho  the  Fexilla  Regis. 


THE    VEXILLA    REGIS. 


T 


iHE  Vexilla  Regis  was  written  about 
A  the  year  580 — two  hundred  years  before 
the  time  of  Charlemagne,  and  feven  hundred 
years  before  the  birth  of  the  Englifh  language. 
It  is  therefore  one  of  the  oldeft  of  mediaeval 
hymns. 

Venantius  Fortunatus,  an  Italian,  whofe  birth- 
place is  unknown,  was  in  early  life  a  citizen  of 
Ravenna,  from  which  he  was  driven  by  the 
great  invafion  of  the  Lombards.  He  paned  into 
France,  and  became  the  fafhionable  poet  of  his 
time.  Subfequently  he  devoted  his  talents  to  a 
holier  object,  and  became  the  friend  of  Saint 
Radegunde  and  Saint  Gregory.  He  removed  to 
Tours,  was  made  Bifhop  of  Poitiers,  and  died 
about  the  year  600. 


The  Vexilla  Regis.  14 1 

"  This  world-famous  hymn,  one  of  the  grand- 
eft  in  the  treafury  of  the  Latin  Church,  was 
compofed  by  Fortunatus  on  occaiion  of  the 
reception  of  certain  relics  by  Saint  Gregory  of 
Tours  and  Saint  Radegunde,  previoufly  to  the 
confecration  of  a  church  at  Poitiers.  It  is 
therefore  ftri&ly  and  primarily  a  proceffional 
hymn,  though,  very  naturally,  afterwards  adapted 
to  Paffion-tide." — Mediaval  Hymns. 

"  C'eft  de  Fortunat  qu'eft  le  Vexilla  Regis 
compofe,  a  Poccafion  du  morceau  de  la  vraie 
croix,  envoye  par  Pempereur  Juftin  a  St.  Rade- 
gonde . ' ' — Biographie  Univerfelle . 

The  laft  two  verfes  were  added  when  the 
hymn  was  appropriated  to  Paffion-tide.  The 
ending  of  Fortunatus  is  this  : 

"  With  fragrance  dropping  from  each  bough, 
Sweeter  than  fweeteft  neftar  thou  : 
Decked  with  the  fruit  of  peace  and  praife, 
And  glorious  with  Triumphal  lays: — 

"Hail,  Altar!   Hail,  O  Victim  !  Thee 
Decks  now  Thy  Paflion's  Victory ; 
Where  Life  for  finners  death  endured, 
And  life  by  death  for  man  procured." 


142  The  Fexilla  Regis. 


VEXILLA    REGIS. 

FORTUNATUS. 
I. 

VEXILLA  regis  prodeunt, 
Fulget  crucis  myfterium, 
Quo  carne  carnis  conditor 
Sufpenfus  eft  patibulo. 

ii. 

Quo  vulneratus  infuper 
Mucrone  diro  lanceae, 
Ut  nos  lavaret  crimine 
Manavit  unda  fanguine. 

in. 

Impleta  funt  quae  concinit 
David  fideli  carmine 
Dicens :    In  nationibus 
Regnavit  a  ligno  Deus. 


^he  Fexilla  Regis.  143 


THE    VEXILLA    REGIS. 

DR.    NEALE. 
I. 

r  I  ^HE  Royal  Banners  forward  go; 

-■-      The  Crofs  fhines  forth  in  myftic  glow ; 
Where  He  in  flefh,  our  flefh  who  made, 
Our  fentence  bore,  our  ranfom  paid. 

2. 

Where  deep  for  us  the  fpear  was  dy'd, 
Life's  torrent  rufhing  from  His  fide, 
To  wafh  us  in  that  precious  flood 
Where  mingled  water  flow'd,  and  blood. 

3- 

Fulfill'd  is  all  that  David  told 

In  true  prophetic  fong  of  old ; 

Amidft  the  nations  God,  faith  he, 

Hath  reignM  and  triumph'd  from  the  Tree. 


144  ^e  ^ex2'^a  Regis. 

IV. 

Arbor  decora  et  fulgida, 
Ornata  regis  purpura, 
Electa  digno  ftipite 
Tarn  fan&a  membra  tangere, 

v. 

Beata  cujus  brachiis 
Pretium  pependit  faeculi, 
Statera  fa&a  faeculi 
Praedamque  tulit  tartaris. 

VI. 

O  crux  ave,  fpes  unica  ! 
Hoc  paflionis  tempore, 
Auge  piis  inftitiam 
Reifque  dona  veniam. 

VII. 

Te  fumma  Deus  Trinitas 
Collaudet  omnis  fpiritus 
Quas  per  crucis  myfterium 
Salvas,  rege  per  faecula. 


^he  Fexilla  Regis,  145 

4- 
O  Tree  of  Beauty  !    Tree  of  Light  ! 
O  Tree  with  royal  purple  dight  ! 
Eledt  on  whofe  triumphal  breaft 
Thofe  holy  limbs  fhould  find  their  reft  ! 

5- 

On  whofe  dear  arms,  fo  widely  flung, 
The  weight  of  this  world's  ranfom  hung  : 
The  price  of  human  kind  to  pay, 
And  fpoil  the  Spoiler  of  his  prey. 

6. 

O  Crofs,  our  one  reliance,  hail  ! 
This  holy  Paflion-tide,  avail 
To  give  frefh  merit  to  the  faint, 
And  pardon  to  the  penitent. 

7- 

To  Thee,  Eternal  Three  in  One, 
Let  homage  meet  by  all  be  done  ; 
Whom  by  the  Crofs  Thou  doft  reftore, 
Preferve  and  govern  evermore. 


146  The  Alleluiatic  Sequence. 


THE    ALLELUIATIC    SEQUENCE. 


THIS  famous  Sequence,  which  may  be  re- 
garded as  the  parent  of  every  Hallelujah 
Chorus  that  has  been  written  fince,  was  com- 
pofed  by  Godefcalcus,  prior  to  the  year  950 — the 
year  of  his  death.  The  little  that  is  known  of 
him  is  given  by  his  tranflator. 

"  There  is  only  one  thing,"  fays  Dr.  Neale, 
"  with  refpecl:  to  the  ufe  of  any  of  my  hymns  that 
has  grieved  me — the  rejection  of  the  noble  mel- 
ody of  the  Alleluiatic  Sequence,  and  that  for 
a  third-rate  chant.  What  would  be  faid  of  chant- 
ing the  Dies  Ira  ?  And  yet  I  really  believe 
that  it  would  fuffer  lefs  than  does  the  Cantemus 
cuncti  by  fuch  a  fubftitution.  Further,  be  it 
noticed,  every  fentence — I  had  almoft  faid  every 


Hhe  Alleluiatic  Sequence.  H7 

word — of  the  verfion  was  carefully  fitted  to  the 
mufic,  and  the  length  of  the  lines  correfponds  to 
the  length  of  each  troparion  in  the  original." 

"  If  it  be  faid  that  the  original  melody  is  diffi- 
cult, I  can  only  reply  that  I  have  frequently 
heard  it  fung  by  a  choir  of  children,  of  ages 
varying  from  four  to  fourteen ;  and  never  more 
prettily  than  when,  without  any  accompaniment 
at  all,  in  the  open  fields — the  very  fmall  ones 
joining  in  for  the  greater  part  with  the  whole  of 
their  little  energy." — Medieval  Hymns. 


148  The  Alleluiatic  Sequence. 


CANTEMUS    CUNCTI. 


GODESCALCUS. 


CANTEMUS  cuncti  melodum  nunc 
Alleluia. 
11.   In  laudibus  aeterni  regis  haec  plebs  reful- 
tet  Alleluia. 

hi.  Hoc  denique  coeleftes  chori  cantent  in 
altum  Alleluia. 

iv.  Hoc  beatorum  per  prata  paradifiaca  pfallat 
concentus  Alleluia. 

v.   Quin  et  aftrorum  micantia  luminaria  jubi- 
lent  altum  Alleluia. 

vi.  Nubium  curfus,  ventorum  volatus,  ful~ 
gurum  coruscatio  et  tonitruum  fo- 
nitus  dulce  confonent  fimul 

Alleluia. 


The  Alleluiatic  Sequence,  149 


THE    ALLELUIATIC    SEQUENCE, 


DR.    NEALE. 


THE  ftrain  upraife  of  joy  and  praife,  Alleluia. 
2.  To  the  glory  of  their  King 

Shall  the  ranfom'd  people  fing  Alleluia. 

3.  And  the  Choirs  that  dwell  on  high 

Shall  re-echo  through  the  Iky  Alleluia. 

4.  They  through  the  fields  of  Paradife  that  roam, 
The  bleffed  ones,  repeat  through  that  bright 

home  Alleluia. 

5.  The  planets  glitt'ring  on  their  heavenly  way, 
The  mining  conftellations,  join,  and  fay 

Alleluia. 

6.  Ye  clouds  that  onward  fweep  ! 
Ye  winds  on  pinions  light ! 

Ye  thunders,  echoing  loud  and  deep  ! 

Ye  lightnings,  wildly  bright ! 

In  fweet  confent  unite  your  Alleluia. 


15°  °£he  Alleluiatic  Sequence. 

vii.  Flu£us  et  undae,  imber  et  procellae,  tem- 
peftas  et  ferenitas,  cauma,  gelu, 
nix,  prunaE,  faltus,  nemora  pan- 
gant  Alleluia. 

viii.   Hinc  variae  volucres  creatorem   laudibus 
concinite  cum  Alleluia. 

ix.   Aft  illic  refpondeant  voces  altae  diverfarum 
beftiarum  Alleluia. 

x.  Iftinc  montium  celn*  vertices  fonent 

Alleluia. 

xi.   Hinc  vallium  profunditates  faltent 

Alleluia. 

xii.   Tu  quoque  maris  jubilans  abyfle  die 

Alleluia. 

xiii.   Nee  non  terrarum  molis  immenfitates  : 

Alleluia. 

xiv.  Nunc  omne  genus  humanum  laudans  ex- 
ultet :  Alleluia. 

xv.   Et  creatori  grates  frequentans  confonet : 

Alleluia. 

xvi.   Hoc   denique  nomen   audire   jugiter  de- 

lecl:atur  •  Alleluia. 


tfbe  Alleluiatic  Sequence.  \t\ 

7.  Ye  floods  and  ocean  billows  ! 
Ye  ftorms  and  winter  fnow  ! 
Ye  days  of  cloudlefs  beauty  ! 
Hoar  froft  and  fummer  glow  ! 
Ye  groves  that  wave  in  fpring, 

And  glorious  forefts,  fing  Alleluia, 

8.  Firft  let  the  birds,  with  painted  plumage  gay, 
Exalt  their  great  Creator's  praife,  and  fay 

Alleluia. 

9.  Then  let  the  beafts  of  earth,  with  varying 

ftrain, 
Join  in  Creation's  Hymn,  and  cry  again 

Alleluia. 

10.  Here  let  the  mountains  thunder  forth,  fono- 

rous,  Alleluia. 

1 1 .  There,  let  the  valleys  fing  in  gentler  chorus, 

Alleluia. 

12.  Thou  jubilant  abyfs  of  ocean,  cry     Alleluia. 

13.  Ye  traces  of  earth  and  continents,  reply 

Alleluia. 

14.  To  God,  who  all  Creation  made, 

15.  The  frequent  hymn  be  duly  paid  :     Alleluia. 

16.  This   is   the   ftrain,  the   eternal   ftrain,  the 

Lord  of  all  things  loves  :      Alleluia 


152  *The  Alleluiatic  Sequence. 

xvii.   Hoc    etiam    carmen    coelefte    comprobat 
ipfe  Chriftus :  Alleluia, 

xviii.   Nunc  vos  focii  cantate  laetantes  : 

Alleluia, 
xix.   Et  vos  pueruli  refpondete  Temper 

Alleluia. 
xx.  Nunc  omnes  canite  fimul  Alleluia  dom- 
ino, Alleluia  Chrifto  pneumatique 
Alleluia. 

xxi.   Laus  Trinitati  aeternae  in  babtifmo  domini 

quae  clarificatur  :   Hinc  canamus  : 

Alleluia. 


Hhe  Alleluiatic  Sequence.  153 

17.  This   is   the   fong,  the   heav'nly  fong,  that 

Christ  Himfelf  approves  :   Alleluia. 

18.  Wherefore  we  fing,  both  heart   and   voice 

awaking,  Alleluia. 

19.  And  children's  voices  echo,  anfwer  making, 

Alleluia. 

20.  Now  from  all  men  be  out-pour'd 
Alleluia  to  the  Lord  ; 

With  Alleluia  evermore 

The  Son  and  Spirit  we  adore. 

21.  Praife  be  done  to  the  Three  in  One. 

Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia! 


154  Appendix. 

APPENDIX 


The  concluding  lines  of  the  extract  given  at 
page  4,  are  in  the  original : 

"  Si  tua  nuncia  praevenit  uncia,  furge,  fequaris  j 
Expete  limina,  nulla  gravamina  jam  verearis. 
Si  datur  uncia,  flat  prope  gratia  Pontificalis ; 
Sin  procul  haec  valet,  haec  tibi  lex  manet  eft  fchola  talis." 

The  ninth  and  tenth  ftanzas  of  the  Stabat 
Mater  are  more  literally  rendered  in  the  fol- 
lowing than  in  the  verflon  of  Lord  Lindfay. 
They  alfo  (how  the  inability  of  the  Englifh 
double  rhyme  to  exprefs  the  pathos  which  in- 
verts the  Latin. 

"  Let  me  with  His  ftripes  be  rended ; 
Let  me  by  His  blood  be  cleanfed — 

Looking  to  the  Crucified. 
Then,  O  Virgin,  by  thee  lighted, 
Wakened,  warmed,  aroufed,  excited, 

For  the  judgment  fandrified. 

*  Let  me  by  the  Crofs  directed, 
By  the  death  of  Christ  protected, 

See  below  His  glory  far. 
Then,  this  body  mouldering,  riven- 
Then  be  to  my  fpirit  given 

Paradiji  Gloria  /" 


A 


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